


TGWDLM ONESHOTS - FEATURING MOSTLY PAULKINS

by robertstanion



Category: Team Starkid - Fandom, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Starkid
Genre: Angst, BUT i'm involving others, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Legit just Paulkins by now, M/M, Or trying to, Smut, Song fics, i just find it easier to write paulkins :)))), oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-11-21 15:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 23,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18144092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: This book consists of multiple one shots that I write. There are three genres, angst, fluff and sad. You will see, at the start of the chapter, the time limit I have set myself, the overdrive time limit for if I don't hit my limit, starter sentence to see if you'd like to read said chapter, the time it took to write the actual chapter and the word count. A notice. Some of these chapters will go on my tumblr/instagram @robertstanion so you may recognise them from there. Good luck I will ruin your emotions. Also Tee Hargreeves is my OC ignore her (please don't she's my pride and joy :))))), MAJORITY WILL BE PAULKINS





	1. Just Like A Pill: Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is a long ass chapter isn't it? I kinda got carried away lmao.  
> -

sorry about the hiatus im back. This is based on the P!nk song "Just Like A Pill" and its also based off a hardcore scene in one of my roleplays sO here we go.

* * *

"I know after everything we've been through with the professor attempting to start a second apotheosis and I know you went to help him and I know how stressed you've been lately and if I lose you I'd never forgive myself so Emma Perkins, will you marry me?" Emma spun around to see Paul on one knee. Was he joking?  
"Paul Matthews I swear to god if this is a joke I will-"  
"No, Emma, I'm being dead serious. So will you?" She nodded and took the ring. Paul carried her bridal style inside as she laughed. But Paul had grabbed the professor by the collar to stop him from infecting himself and then thrown him on the floor. "I just need to go to her...OUR room!" She said and ran up the stairs. She was going to have a panic attack. Paul had never seen her have one before. She wanted to keep it that way. She knew Paul would never hurt her but...he could. "Emma?!" Paul shouted after her, following her. This wasn't going to end well. Her fights never did. 

_I'm lying here on the floor where you left me, I think I took too much_

_"_ Emma? Do you not want to go through with it?" His heart was beating. What if she said no?  
"No I do o-of course I do." She had a sad smile on her face. Her breathing was becoming short and her heartrate had increased.   
"Then what's up?" He wrapped an arm around her and she jumped. She didn't like sudden contact.   
"I'm emotionally exhausted" and having a panic attack and I don't want you to see me like this "that's what's up" She replied.  
"I know and it's normal! We're all completely exhausted." He was trying to make the situation lighter. Something was telling him it wasn't working.   
"No Paul you don't get it I..." if she could say it she would, but she couldn't.   
"I'm here to listen, Em."  
"I know but I can't explain it!" By now tears were falling from her eyes.   
"Just try." He smiled, wiping them away with the corner of his thumbs.   
"I am Paul!" She sounded pissed, she wasn't. Her anxiety was eating her up inside. 

_I'm crying here. What have you done?_

"Do you not want to talk to the professor tomorrow?" When Paul guessed what was wrong, he usually got it right. He was going to say she was scared of him and it was all over. Her heart beat faster than before and she felt like she was going to throw up. "Did Ted say something to you when we went to visit him?" Another no. "Then what is it? You can tell me anything you know that right? Especially now that we're engaged-" Paul came to a conclusion and turned away from Emma. "You don't want to get married, do you?"   
"Paul I want to marry you! I just can't tell you what it is!" because she'd end up dead. She'd never seen Paul angry and she wanted it to stay that way. He smiled and turned back towards her. "You can tell me anything, I want to be with you no matter what it is." She shook her head harder. She knew what his next guess was going to be. "Well I don't know what I can do if you won't tell me!" he said, slightly raising his voice. Emma jumped. She'd accidentally made it obvious. "What, are you scared of me or something?" Emma bit her lip and more tears filled her eyes. Don't let him know. "Emma?" His voice became concerned. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She couldn't tell him. "What? Your scared of me?" Her chest tightened and if she wasn't going to vomit then, she probably would soon. "Where did this come from?" He wasn't expecting that to be the genuine answer. Don't let him know. That plan had gone out the window. She wanted to say 'since you threw the professor against a wall' but nothing happened. "Emma I can't help if you don't talk to me!" Paul was desperate, but then again so was Emma. Emma remained silent. "Well then, I don't know what to say." He was becoming more frustrated. As Paul was becoming angrier, she was becoming more vulnerable. If she needed to, she could get out the window. But she wouldn't be able to escape Paul's grasp. Eventually, Paul sighed and stood up. "Talk to me when your ready, I guess." Why was Emma scared of him? As Paul left, her breathing slowed down and she no longer had the urge to vomit. The panic attack was over. She was okay again. As all of this was happening in the bedroom, Paul sat on the sofa, head in hands. He felt so small proposing to Emma now and he realised it wasn't the best of times. He walked to the mirror. "I'm not a scary guy..." he mumbled to himself. He had a quick conversation with Bill about Alice. But Emma got curious, who was he on the phone to? She could hear him. She thought she was safe. She got lost in her thoughts and didn't hear Paul walking back up the stairs. "Are you going to talk to me yet or?..." His voice seemed surprisingly small, yet Emma still tensed up. God not another panic attack... "Emma don't freak out!" He rushed to her side. "I'm not a scary guy! Or...apparently I am to you." Emma was crying again. He was right, he wasn't scary. Until he got pissed. How badly she wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was missing the point, but she couldn't speak. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Emma! Can't you see I'm trying?" Yes.   
"Yes!" her voice was supposed to sound intimidating, but if anything it sounded meek.   
"Then what do you expect me to do?"   
"I can't tell you because I'm just not ready to tell you flat out!"  
"Admit it, you don't want to marry me!"  
"I do want to marry you why can't you understand that!"   
"Because you're not talking to me!"  
"Stop shouting! Please stop shouting..." Somehow, she'd managed to back herself against the wall and instinctively, her arms shielded her face.   
"What the hell? Where has this come from?!"   
"I don't know!" She loved Paul. She just hated herself for being scared whenever someone lost their temper. "Just please stop shouting..."  
"Are you going to talk to me?" His voice had calmed down. He'd listened to her.  
"I-Yeah." She gave in.   
"What is it?"  
"When you shout it...it reminds me of when my dad used to shout at me and because of what you did to the professor earlier...i just feel like I don't know you anymore."  
"Emma, babe, I'm still me! I just got protective because he hurt you that's all-"  
"Emotionally! Not physically or mentally and you hurt him physically! There's a difference!"  
"I know I shouldn't have done it but god you don't need to be afraid or me because of it!"  
"Okay...okay." She began to calm down.   
"Yeah?"   
"Yeah..."  
"Good." he smiled and kissed her lightly. "But if we're gonna get married, we need to be honest with each other okay?"  
"Okay I'll try but it's not that easy..." A lot had happened when she was a child she didn't want to speak of. Ever again.   
"Why not?"  
"It just isn't, ok!" Paul furrowed his eyebrows and looked back down towards the ground. "You see this is what I mean! Whenever I struggle with something you act exactly like that!" She gave a half assed gesture towards him.   
"It shouldn't be difficult for you to talk to me about most things-" it wasn't.   
"It's difficult for me to talk to anybody about it! And if you can't accept that..."  
"If I can't accept that..."  
"Fuck it. If you can't accept why I can't talk about some topics maybe we shouldn't get married after all!" As soon as those words left her mouth, she regretted it instantly.   
"You know what! maybe your right!" And he left the room again. Emma was done for now. Paul came back suddenly. "And I knew you didn't want to marry me..."  
"I never said I didn't want to I just-" She was dead no matter what now.   
"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you?"  
"Because I do Paul I really want to marry you!"  
"It doesn't seem that way." He folded his arms.   
"Because of everything that's happened today and you decide this is when you want to marry me? When you see me at my worst?"  
"I know the timing wasn't the greatest but it shouldn't matter..."  
"It does matter Paul! It matters a hell of a lot to me!"   
"So because of the timing you don't want to get married."  
""You're not getting it!"  
"You're right I'm not!"   
"Because you can't read between the fucking lines! All your doing is jumping to conclusions!"  
"You literally said we shouldn't get married I hardly think I'm jumping to conclusions!"  
"I never said we shouldn't get married!" he wasn't listening to her.   
"Yes you did!"  
"I didn't, Paul!"  
"Why don't you want to marry me..."  
"Paul I didn't say that please stop!"  
"Do you want to marry me yes or no final chance."  
"Yes!"  
Paul sighed. "Then why didn't you say that before."  
"I did Paul!" She was sick of fighting yet it wouldn't stop. Finally Paul sat down on the bed beside her again as she went silent.   
"Well it's getting late, shouldn't we sleep?"  
"You. Not we. You can sleep. Don't act like everything's going to go back to normal because of our fight ended!"  
"Babe we're allowed to fight it's normal!"  
"But not as much as we fight!"   
"What do you want me to do then? Stay mad at you for longer?" He laughed. Was she a joke?   
"It's not funny, Paul! Can't you see how much you're hurting me! I don't know why I'm effected by people shouting but I know it's a lot worse than PTSD. I thought you out of everyone would understand. Apparently that's no longer the case. If you think I'm a joke I'll step foot out that door and never return. This time I mean it."  
"You know I don't want that but the amount of times you've suggested it lately makes me think you do..."  
"What leaving you? Paul I am this close." She gestured with her hand.   
"What are you talking about? Is there something you're not telling me?"  
"I've told you everything yet you still think that there's more?!"  
"Well it's not exactly out of charatcer for you to not tell me everything is it?!" He snapped and Emma wasn't feeling the best again.   
"So it's my fault now?"  
"That's now what I'm-" but he reconsidered. "Yes. I've done nothing."  
"You know what...."

_I can't stay on your life support there's a shortage in the switch_

"I'm done." the ring fell to the floor almost in slow motion and Emma had to get herself out of there as quick as possible. As she left she could hear Paul screaming and punching the wall. She was almost frozen to the floor. 

_I can't stay on your morphine cause it's making me itch_

She didn't want to go...but she couldn't really turn back again could she? Paul's eyes began to gloss over. He wasn't crying over Emma. Yeah it might have been the worse breakup he's ever experienced but there wasn't any point crying over the prettiest, smartest, sassiest, funniest girl he'd ever dated. He truly thought they had a future. He felt pathetic for proposing and he heard the front door shut. She was really gone. Emma half hoped Paul would run after her, to win her back. But he didn't. But she knew where she was going to go. Back to Guatamala. Well....that was the plan. 

_I said I tried to call the nurse again but she's being a little bitch. I think I'll get out of here where I can run. Run as fast as I can. To the middle of nowhere. To the middle of my frustrated fears and I swear. Your just like a pill, 'stead of making me better, you keep making me ill...you keep making me ill._

She was crossing the road and it all went dark.  There was a pain searing through both of her legs. A pedestrian phoned an ambulance. Paul was saved as an emergency contact. She hadn't changed it. So now she was in hospital, blinded by pain, while the nurse was on the phone to Paul. "Mr Matthews said he'll be here as soon as possible." The nurse told Emma. Great. Emma couldn't avoid him now. 

 


	2. this was originally gonna be angsty but I found a better opening-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prepare for fluff

STORY OPENER: He'd had a bad day and just needed something to make him feel better (au where the apotheosis didn't fucking happen)  
TIME TO WRITE: 1 hour  
Did I go overtime, if so by how many minutes?:  
How many words written in an hour: actually wrote the chapter in 20 minutes so 868  
How many words written once finished (overtime):

* * *

He'd had a bad day and just needed something to make him feel better. Coming close to multiple breakdowns at the office for no reason whatsoever was already pissing him off. The fact Ted began speaking shit about Emma got him worked up. The fact any little thing anybody said reminded him of Emma. Emma. His whole life revolved around Emma. Emma the 'Latte Hottay' Emma. The Emma he only just found out her name after seeing her in Beanie's for 2 years. That Emma. His time came when his shift ended and he clocked out. He went to Beanies immediately after work and walked in. Emma wasn't there. Great. Cherry on top of an already perfect day. "One black coffee." He smiled at the younger barista. Usually he'd go for Emma but honestly, he didn't care. He payed for his drink and sat in his car. There was a knock on the window. Turning his head he noticed someone. Someone familiar. He rolled the window down. "Paul, is that you?" Emma asked. He smiled. All his hopelessness washed away when he was around her. She was the light to help him through the darkness. "Yeah it's me."  
"Okay good, wanna go on a date? like right not? i mean I could not care less what I'm wearing and your in a suit so fuck it."  
"Emma, are you asking me on a date, as I sit outside your coffee shop drinking coffee?"  
"Pretty much, so do you wanna?" Paul nodded and unlocked the car. 

"BYE ASSHOLES! Oh! Kelsie, message me if Paul, you know, tall bloke, walks through the door, I'm taking my car home." She smiled at her favourite co worker before clocking out. She ditched her green apron on the peg by the door and drove home. A message came through as soon as she dropped her car off. It was from Kelsie. "Go get him lover girl." It read. "Shit." She said and pegged it back to Beanies. She was scanning the shop through the windows in hopes of seeing Paul but he wasn't there. She started regaining her breathe as she scanned the cars only to see Paul in one of them. She smiled and walked over to the car and knocked on the window. He rolled the window down. And then they went on a date. It was a good date. A very good date. And there was an instant connection between the two. 

* * *

-1 year later-

She'd had a bad day. Some asshole had been prodding comments about her figure, about her height, about her car and then about her sister. Her sister had died in a car crash. She couldn't contain emotions. Over the past year, her and Paul had become an official couple and she'd grown closer to Charlotte as a friend. She drove to CCRP because she knew Paul's shifts just as clear as she knew her own. She walked through the doors. CCRP was a very private business and anyone who walked in was usually kicked out instantly. One of Paul's coworkers approached her. "I'm so sorry m'aam you need to leave." He smiled a very perverted smile.   
"No. She doesn't. Thankyou Jason. I'm sure your wife would like to hear about the plans that just went through your mind." Charlotte looked this Jason in the eyes. He scowled and walked away. "Where's Paul." She said, barely holding back tears.   
"He got promoted to a cubicle like me, I'll take you through." She smiled and lead her to Paul's new office. She could hear Paul on the phone more than likely to a customer having issues with their computer. Charlotte knocked on the door. "One second!" He chirped back. 10 minutes went by. A silence between Charlotte and Emma was never an uncomfortable one. The phone was placed down and the door clicked open. "Em? What are you doing here?" Paul asked, walking out of his office. She couldn't hold the tears in any more. As soon as she was in the comfort of Paul's arms, she burst into tears. "I've got it from here Char, thankyou." Charlotte smiled and nodded. Paul guided Emma into his office and pulled an extra chair up, pulling the blinds down and shutting the door. "What happened darling?" He asked in a soft voice, wiping her tears away.   
"Some asshole he...he was making comments about my figure and my height and the make of my car which don't bother me, you know that. Until he started talking about my sister. "Your Emma Perkins, your Jane's sister. You'd have gotten a better car unless you want to end up the same as her." He told me and I just dropped everything and walked out. Kelsie's aware of everything. And I come here and some asshole was eyeing me up and-"  
"I'm not letting anybody hurt you Emma. I swear to god I will find out who made that comment about your sister and knock their teeth in. We'll go straight home ok, ignore the plans we had we'll move them to another day. Your my priority at the minute. Now I know I'm still at work and your more than welcome to stay. I promise." She smiled.

 


	3. PREPARE FOR ANGST: Lifeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd say I'm sorry but I'm really not.

SENTENCE STARTER: Today wasn't the greatest  
GENRE: Sad  
TIME TO WRITE: 50 mins  
DEADLINE: 1hour   
TIME IT TOOK TO WRITE: 13 minutes   
WORDCOUNT: 799

* * *

Today wasn't the greatest. He wouldn't deny it. Some asshole had started singing in his face, fully aware about his triggers. It was a few weeks after the apotheosis and everyone seemed to have returned to normal. Everyone except him. Nobody could remember singing or dancing, except him. Nobody could remember how it felt. Nobody could remember the complete and utter torture of the meteor pelting lyrics at you, controlling your every move. Everyone couldn't, except Paul Matthews. Him and Emma had gotten together as soon as he went to get her from Clivesdale. There was no question about it. Everyone seemed to have been knocked out, with no distinct memory. Everyone was fine. Charlotte was still with Sam and still having her affair with Ted, which became public amongst the group during the apotheosis. Alice went home to Clivesdale, she's still with Deb, and Bill is still convincing her mother to take her to court. Every time he looked at Bill, he could only see his twisted, mutilated figure lying on the ground, to hear those notes echoing through his mind. He had no idea what the professor was doing. Maybe he was still teaching biology. Somehow, everybody's guts that were ripped from their bodies and organs that were exposed were soon covered by fresh tissue. And for Paul...he never healed. He got back home after a long day at work. He usually only looked at his computer screen. He became a selective mute. He never spoke in fear he'd sing again. He only texted nowadays. Unless it was to A. his boss or B. Emma. Emma Perkins, the love of his life. The only reason he usually distanced himself from Emma was when he looked at her, he still saw the small sassy barista who sang when she was tipped. Singing. Everything was related to singing. He'd tried to get help but every time he mentioned "mindless alien slaves" they turned him away. This was no joke. This was no lie. He couldn't make this shit up. He unlocked his door and walked in. It appeared Emma was home for her bag was sprawled on his couch. A faint humming was heard upstairs. Humming. Oh god no not humming. Even if it was coming from Emma. 

He wanted to call out to her but he choked on the words. The shower was running and he tried to put his queeries away, but he couldn't. He found himself being lead towards the bathroom door and he listened. "Yesterday is retroactive, got myself a new perspective, I strut it up and down the road." Where had he heard those lyrics before? He couldn't put his finger on it, and continued to listen. "So I threw all my worries, and my skin away. Doing what I want to...on this la de da da day!" She continued to sing. Paul found his chest tightening on him, he found his breathing to be short. How did Emma know the song? He couldn't breathe. He tried to balance himself out by holding on to the bannister, but he could feel himself losing consciousness. He tripped over something and felt himself falling back...back down the stairs. 

* * *

 

He woke up in a cold sweat, tears brimming at his eyes. He gasped for air as, with shaking hands, he flicked on the small lamp. What was the time? 5 AM. He had to be up in half an hour anyways. What was that dream? He didn't know. Not a lot of things scared that man except mindless alien slaves who sang to him. The light on the other side of the bed flicked on. "Paul?" Emma groaned. "What's wrong?" He started to steady out his breathing.   
"It's nothing, Em." He wiped the stray tears from his eyes. Emma hadn't seen him cry before. God he hated being vulnerable.   
"Did you have another one of those-"  
"Yep."  
"And your fully aware that your safe-"  
"Yep." He felt a pair of arms hold on to one of his.   
"Paul, sweetheart, it's been 3 years. I know you don't really talk anymore and I can understand why, okay. But I'm here to help you." He nodded as he listened to Emma's words. God, a 34 year old man still having nightmares like he was 3. He was a selective mute. He barely ever spoke around Emma as well. And Emma knew that. They used each other for company. She bought herself a violin and sometimes she played it. That's the one thing that didn't trigger him, the sound of a violin. And he didn't know what it was about it that relaxed him. Maybe it was the tune or maybe it was the person playing it, he was unsure. But he did know, in Emma's presence, he'd be alright. They'd be alright.

 

 


	4. BREAKDOWN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just ted lmao

Can’t be particularly assed to time it or whatever but started at 9:15 and ended at 9:23 so it’s not my best lmao

Alcohol. That’s what he needed. He needed nothing more than alcohol right now. He staggered back down to the bar where he poured himself another glass. God, yesterday he was Ted from CCRP Technical. Now, he was ted. In the middle of some sort of an apocalypse. He had no idea where Charlotte was. Charlotte was the only thing he well and truly lived for. It was unlikely he’d ever see her again if she didn’t come back down. If she ever came down. The door opened. “Ted.” The professor said dismissively, practically ignoring the other mans presence. “Your alone now.” He said, reaching into his pocket and gripping something. What was he gripping?! “What you got there Professor?” Ted laughed but it was the alcohol talking. Not him. The professor pulled out a syringe. “Keep still...It’ll all be over soon.” Was Charlotte dead? Most likely. He felt the cold needle of the syringe be inserted into his neck. His whole body fell limp and heavy.

When he woke again, he was strapped to a chair, a throbbing pain in his ankle and his neck. “So, your finally awake.” Oh god no. Everything came flooding back to him. His close encounter with the professor. Sure, they’d only really known each other for a few hours but his heart could not stop fluttering. Was it from anxiety or was it because he was drunk? Well he seemed as sober as ever so that was one thing crossed off. A white cloth revealed a piano. The professor then began playing the piano. But ted should be scared. But he was mesmerised. Mesmerised by the whole situation. He had a purpose. And that purpose had a cause. The same with everything else. I only he hadn’t have ran away from paul and Emma. Maybe he would still be alive. 

 


	5. FL UF F )y'all deserve it(

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me: Puts "fluff" playlist on  
> Me: writes the title  
> Me: shit puts "sad" playlist on  
> Me: *realises my intentions aren't getting anywhere*  
> Me: fluff time  
> -  
> i have 3 playlists now dedicated to the feeling in the room I want. Unlike once when I was trying to write a very serious chapter and Party in the USA came on and I had to write to that :)))  
> -  
> featuring Emma seeing Paul for the first time, Emma in a production of Hamilton in high school, brief mention of father figure, featuring my oc who I love so dearly who I reveal something criminally important about.

Opening line: Emma fumbled nervously with her hands.   
Time to write: 50 mins  
Overtime: 1 hour  
Time taken to write: 35 mins 45 seconds  
Words written: 1838   
Genre: Fluff (i changed it from fluff to sad back to fluff, next is either angst or sad be prepared)

* * *

Emma fumbled nervously with her hands. Sure, she was in Brigadoon a while ago in her first year of high school and she scored Bonnie Jean. But it was her last year, and with her being a senior, this was her last year too. And just her luck, her school were putting on their own production of "Hamilton: An American Musical." Was she going to audition? Fuck yeah she was. She walked on stage and nailed her audition even with her shaking voice and trembling hands. But it was a shock when she sawher name as Eliza Schuyler on the cast list a week later, alongside some girl called Charlotte Lowery as Angelica Schuyler and Tee Hargreeves as Peggy/Maria. She looked at the rest of the cast list and was quite shocked at the results (I actually typed this out to Michael in the Bathroom, I, for one, am a mess, skip the cast list if you don't want to read it, featuring names I made up full stop)

  * Alexander Hamilton: Liam Bridgewater
  * Aaron Burr: Harry Serpentine
  * George Washington: Joey Kane
  * Philip Hamilton/John Laurens: Ben Davis
  * Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette: Ted Harris
  * James Madison/Hercules Mulligan: Bill Simmons
  * Angelica Schuyler: Charlotte Lowery
  * Eliza Schuyler: Emma Perkins
  * Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds: Tee Hargreeves
  * Backups: Samuel Grace, Ruby Sands, Jeremiah Caleesi, Casey Con, Leah Kimberly, Martin Smith, Fred Trais



_If you didn't make it on the list, talk to me, Miss Rains, about this. - R_

Needless to say Emma couldn't be happier. Liam was her best (male) friend and they were often considered a couple. They were too close to be a couple however and they both accepted that. Emma was a soprano and god, she was the best singer in their year. They all knew it. "Who's the best singer in our year?" everyone would say at sleepovers. "Emma Perkins." They'd reply. Emma was considered a 'popular kid' and, despite her height, she was pretty 'hot' as well. She got catcalled a lot, but she learnt to fight it off. She had a nice group of friends by the names of Kelsie Marie, Yasmin Bridges and Tee Hargreeves. Kelsie was a fair haired, blue eyed, 5"4 vampire like girl, Yasmin was a gorgeous dark skinned girl and Tee. Well, Tee was just Tee. Her real name was Taylor but she'd never been called that once. Well, I lie again. She was called Taylor once, and she was excluded for a week for breaking someone's nose. They were a fun little group. Auditions were fully under a way now and Emma took her seat at lunch in the library with her laptop. (Don't question why they were allowed laptops, just roll with it.) "Oh, Emma!" The group noticed her. Her eyes were lifted from the screen to see the other 3 girls sitting around the table. "You have to see Tee's stepbrother. He is  _so_ your type!" Yasmin laughed, pulling out her phone.   
"Guys, you know I'm not looking for love." But still took the phone. On the screen was the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen. He had light brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He was pale and seemed to be tall in height for he was using Tee as an armrest. "Yeah, question. Why is he using you as an armrest?" She asked, aimed at Tee.   
"Yasmin! I told you to crop that part out!" Tee said, bewildered, snatching her friend's phone off of Emma. The group laughed as Tee fumbled around with the Samsung. She groaned in disgust. "Get an iPhone like the rest of us dumbass." She laughed.   
"Anyways Tee, we need names." Kelsie smirked. Emma could feel heat rising to her cheeks. He really was her type. He had similar aspects to Liam with the whole hair and eyes thing. "His name, oh, Paul Matthews." She smiled again, the trio looking at Emma.   
"Emma's got a crush on your stepbrother, Tee." Yasmin laughed again as the bell rang. Professor Hidgens' class. Luckily, the four girls all sat on the same row, well, with Liam in between Tee and Yasmin. So it was a 5 bench seating plan and it went Kelsie, Yasmin, Liam, Tee and Emma. So there would be, as she said a lot, a lot of "Tee" to spill. "Wait, Tee we've got extra rehearsal practice. Shit we've gotta go! It's costume test run thingy we're gonna be there for ages tell the professor where we are!" She rambled as Tee grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the library. "Think Paul's hot then?" She whispered under her breathe as she began to run. Emma soon caught up with her.   
"Maybe I do." She smirked, running in front of the other girl. Despite believing they'd be late, they were one of the first there. 

* * *

As soon as everyone was in the room, they had 10 minutes for their teacher to explain everything. Miss Jennifer Rains stood at the front of the stage. "Bad news, class, see how big this theatre is? You know how this is the first time we're doing it with costumes all the way through for act 1 and with music? Well, everyone from this school's coming to watch." Everyone groaned and Emma raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Perkins?"  
"What do you mean by "this school?" She asked.   
"Oh yeah, Timberwolves class A and class B are coming to watch as well." A lot of mutters spread but Tee burst out laughing.   
"Miss Hargreeves do you have something to share with the rest of the class?"  
"Yes miss, my stepbrother's in class B and Emma is totally fucked-"  
"Language, Miss Hargreeves."  
"Sorry!"  
"Now go and get changed and do your makeup as best as you can girls, we have....8 minutes and 12 seconds go go go!" And everyone sped off to the dressing rooms behind the stage. Tee, Charlotte and Emma were in one dressing room. "Emma babes you are screwed."   
"yeah, stop mentioning it." She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Paul. In real life. Some sort of mystery? Nope. This was reality. She helped Charlotte and Tee with their makeup and they took their places. The curtain was down and she was cringing hard inside. Not only was her new crush going to be there, but her father figure. Yes, Professor Henry Hidgens. Oh, and Yasmin and Kelsie as well. Emma tapped Miss Rains on the shoulder. "Miss, if we break character this time round, will you give us detention?" The teacher laughed. "Only during show week. I'm joking! Of course I won't! However, when we go through Act 2 tomorrow and you break character I will kill you? Ok? Places!" Everyones microphones seemed to be working okay. Emma's brain however was not. 

* * *

Miss Rains stood at the front of the stage, in front of the two curtains that would reveal the actors very shortly. "May I remind you that this is a rehearsal of Act 1 of Hamilton: An American Musical. If I can ask you so very kindly for no phones and to respect our actors. If you see two girls fighting on stage that happens a lot and it's not really fighting, it's just a lot of staring. Okay? Got it? On with the show!" And she stepped off stage. Everyone clapped. The lights stayed on for rehearsals. Harry stood centre stage in full costume. Everyone began clicking to the beat "How does an idiot an orphan a son of a girl and a scotsman dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the carribean by providence, impoverished in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar?" He sang. Ben walked in from the right side of the stage. "The ten dollar founding father without a father got a lot father by working a lot harder by being a lot smarter by being a self starter by fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter." Ted came on stage, hair looking more greasy than usual. "And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted away across the waves he struggled and kept his guard up. Inside he was longing for something to be apart of the brother was ready to beg steal borrow or barter."   
"Then a hurricane came and devistation rained our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain." Bill came on from the right and seemed to make eye contact with someone in the audience. Emma then realised, she felt so self conscious in this blue dress she didn't realise what she'd gotten herself in to. "Put a pencil to his temple connected it to his brain and he wrote his first refrain a testament to his pain."  
"Well the word got around they said this kid is insane man! Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland. Get your education don't forget from whence you came! And the world's gonna know your name! What's your name man?" Another curtain dropped to reveal Liam.   
"Alexander Hamilton." He sang, head tilted to the right, eyes looking left upwards. "My name is Alexander Hamilton. And there's a million things I haven't done. Just you wait...just you wait." Everyone stopped cheering. Emma came on stage. Alone. Tee was in the wings. The orchestra were fully aware they may have to redo this scene.   
"When he was 10 his father split full of it debt ridden two years-" Tee wolf whistled from the wings. "OH MY GOD! Sorry about this guys we're experiencing some technical difficulties TAYLOR HARGREEVES-" She shouted. People in the audience started laughing. "Okay, miss, I'm just gonna..." She motioned to walking off and walking back on again. Emma slapped Tee as soon as she was in the wings and Tee couldn't stop laughing. The music began again and she walked on stage again, this time, she was determined to nail it. "When he was 10 his father split full of it debt ridden two years later see Alex and his mother bed ridden half dead sitting in their own sick the scent thick." She walked over to Liam who was sitting on a chair. "And Alex got better but his mother went quick." The whole cast whispered. She made the mistake of looking up. Not only did she see Yasmin and Kelsie laughing their asses off, but she also saw Paul Matthews. 

* * *

At the end of rehearsal, everyone cheered. Emma and Tee couldn't stop laughing as they looked at Kelsie and Yasmin. "Okay, shutup a minute." Tee said loudly and everyone did. "Wow, that worked for once. Anyways, my friend Emma Perkins here has a very big crush on my-"  
"TAYOR Right that's me done byyyeeeeee" She was not getting exposed in front of the entire school and she walked off stage.   
"EMMA I'M JOKING anyways Paul dad can't pick us up again and mom's at work so we're working I should probably check if she's ok..." She walked offstage and the sound of someone being slapped echoed throughout the hall. "SHE'S OKAY!" Tee shouted through her microphone. It was a good rehearsal lesson if she said so herself. 

 


	6. Arguments.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genre: Angst  
> You: Will Die  
> J: In Cosplay  
> Hotel: trivago

Sentence Starter:  _Don't leave_ she thought but she couldn't control him; he wasn't property.   
Genre: Angst.  
Time Limit: 30 minutes  
Overdrive Time Limit: 45 minutes  
Actual Time Taken To Write: 29 minutes exactly  
Word Count: 1211

* * *

 _Don't leave_  she thought but she couldn't control him; he wasn't property. She held her head in her hands as she collapsed against a nearby tree. He was going to go and destroy the meteor. That part was simple. But there were harmonies surrounding her. What was the point in trying to survive if Paul wasn't even here? It was unlikely he'd even make it back. He only had grenades. She watched as he ran away full speed. There was a throbbing pain in her right leg. She didn't even want to look at the wound. Every time she moved her leg, it felt like 4000 burning knives were being pressed into her thigh. She cried out. She couldn't help it. "Vera, we've got another one!" How long had it been since he'd left? The sun was setting and a general in black uniform approached her. "This won't hurt." She smiled and knocked the girl out. 

Emma awoke in hospital, with her leg in a cast. The general was sitting by her bed. "Ahh, hello Kelly. Seems you woke up." Who's Kelly? "We can't allow any connections to be made to you and Emma Perkins the girl who died tragically in the Hatchetfield Disaster." Shit. He hadn't made it out had he? She nodded. She'd adapt. "I'm just joking. Paul destroyed the meteor, but currently, PIEP are clearing out the remnants of the spores. Everyone else affected is here as well. Welcome to Clivesdale Hospital, Emma. Now, I'm Colonel Chaffer and I have all the details on what happened fully." And she handed Emma her phone. How did the general get a hold of Emma's phone? On the screen was a news broadcast. 

 _I'm Rachel and this is Ron and we interrupt this programme with an emergency announcement. On the 26th of October 2018, a meteor crashed through the roof of the starlight theatre before the touring cast of Mamma Mia! were to perform. About half an hour precisely. Scientists were baffled by this mysterious meteor that had crashed for it was definitely out of sync with the rest of the meteors seen that night. Even though scientists are still researching it, they do know one thing. The DNA inside the spores latched on to one person by the name of Brendon Jinks, who was doing vocal warmups. Brendon Jinks was set to perform as Sam Carmichael in this very production of Mamma Mia. The DNA evolved inside of Brendon's bloodstream, killing him instantly. The spores then latched on to his corpse, allowing the meteor, which we now know was the mastermind, to control his body. Because Mr Jinks was singing when he was killed, the spores had evolved specifically to be a musical disease. It could have been anything. Brendon then killed the rest of his cast members and stage crew. Those who took their seats early were also killed. This disease soon spread from one side of the island to the other. Paul Matthews, an IT worker at CCRP Hatchetfield, ended the entire thing. Here's the thing, he didn't like musicals. Probably still doesn't and honestly Ron, I don't blame him. At 6"3 it wasn't too hard to spot him either. Paul entered the old starlight only to see the meteor sitting centre stage. We have since found out that Paul was once here watching a local production of Godspell last year. According to our parallel services, they told us that he managed to destroy the meteor. Unfortunately, Paul will have changed by now. CCTV footage that we have been given to release shows several people from Hatchetfield swarming around Matthews. Some of these include from the left,_ a picture flashed on screen,  _Bill Simmons, Ted Harris, Nora Davis, Professor Henry Hidgens teacher of Biology at Hatchetfield High, Anneliese Liat the Greenpeace Cassever often located outside of Beanies and Isaac Davison the manager of CCRP Technical._ The picture then turned into a video.  _And if you see, centre stage, that is Mr Paul Matthews dear viewers._ The audio turned on. Paul... he was singing? He was...infected. It cut off just before he threw the grenade. The last thing Emma saw from the video were all the people in the meteor walking towards Paul, clutching on to his clothes. Tears brimmed her eyes. She looked up but Colonel Chaffer was no longer there. She sighed and threw her phone down. He was singing and dancing. She was pissed. The apotheosis was a horrible thing but the fact that because Paul hated musicals made him an easy target and they made him sing and dance enraged her and she couldn't figure out why. 

What seemed like hours but realistically was actually 34 seconds passed and the door clicked open. She expected to see a nurse. It wasn't. It was Colonel Chaffer. "Sorry for disappearing so suddenly, Miss Perkins, we had an urgent matter to attend to. Oh, the urgent matter was a visitor. Would you like me to send them in?" She gave a half assed shrug. She didn't know who it was and she didn't really care. She nodded and her footsteps seemed to vanish from the room. There was a soft knock at the door and she looked up. She should have smiled but she didn't. She should have felt happy but she didn't. He approached her bed. "I saw the news broadcast." She said bluntly. He sat down on the chair beside it. "What broadcast?"  
"Oh don't act like you don't know." She snapped looking back at him. He had a gash on his cheek that wasn't too big but so big to that it was noticeable.   
"I...don't?" Frustrated, she played the broadcast and thrust her phone into his hands.   
"You said you wouldn't be in a musical. And there you are. Singing.  _Dancing!_ Why didn't you fight it off!"  
"So you think I didn't. You think I...wanted to be like that?" Paul was confused as hell. Why was Emma all of a sudden so pissed with him? He didn't want to be reminded about what happened and here he was, watching himself almost die on CCTV footage. He was famous now, apparently, when all he wanted to do was go back to being regular Paul from CCRP Technical Hatchetfield.   
"You seemed to be having the time of your life." Emma sighed, sarcasm lacing her voice.   
"Emma can you look at me please?" So she did. "I fought tooth and nail to survive. I didn't know the CCTV was still on, I just assumed it had been turned off. I promise you I'd have never done anything like that willingly. Why do you think I'm here? Because I almost died in the process. You've been out for 2 weeks you know that? I was only in here for 2 days as they extracted the remaining spores. The spores were fascinating. Under UV light they were a shimmering blue. But to the human eye they were clear, like air particles." 2 weeks. She checked the date. Shit. It had been two weeks.   
"Paul I'm so sorry I didn't believe you I just..."  
"Don't apologise Emma, I can see why you did it." And he smiled at her as she rested her head on his chest.   
"But I still hate you."  
"yeah I gathered."

 


	7. Tee Hargreeves part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally just about my oc seeing as she'll be featured quite a lot throughout this book! Feel free to skip if you don't want to read on about her! Also, feel free to read the bottom bc that bits about her faceclaim aka me.

_THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE AS A SORT OF OC FORMAT TYPE THINGY, IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS CHAPTER THEN CONTINUE, IF YOU DON'T THEN I DON'T BLAME YOU!_

* * *

**_BASICS:_ **

First Name: Taylor  
Middle Name: Annaliese (anne-uh-lee-s)  
Surname: Hargreeves   
Nicknames: Tee and she'd prefer it if it stayed that way  
Sexuality: S T R A I G H T as a ruler  
Pronouns: She/her  
Gender: Female  
Age: Depending on the roleplay, 16-34  
Birthday: 14/08  
Height: 5"6  
Ethnicity: American, quite tanned lowkeyyy  
Relationship Status: single heyy

_**APPEARANCE:** _

Eye colour: Hazel   
Hair Colour: Brown  
Most Seen Wearing: Yellow dress, gold eye shadow, black jeans, black boots (heeled,) minimalistic makeup, floral dresses, opaque tights

  
_**FAMILY:** _

Parents: Adeline Hargreeves, Matthew Hargreeves  
Siblings: Paul Matthews (Stepbrother, long story)  
Close Friends: Emma Perkins, Yasmin Bridges, Kelsie Marie, Paul Matthews  
Pets: She has a parrot called Kimbo.

 

 

_**OCCUPATION:** _

Occupation: Actress located in Hatchetfield, currently starring in the local production of Falsettos as Trina  
Status: Miss/Sire  
Addressed As: Miss Hargreeves, Sir (says the stage crew who are scared of her)

_ **PERSONALITY:** _

Likes: Singing, dancing, winding her friends up, setting people up, being single surprisingly enough  
Dislikes: Insects.  
Phobias: She hasn't got any serious ones. However the meteor has a phobia of her and can't make her sing if she doesn't want to  
Personality: Sassy but sweet, great at advice, great listener, mom friend

_**OTHERS:** _

Favourite Colour: Yellow/Black/Navy  
Hogwarts House: Slytherin  
Patronus: Raven  
Vocal Range: Soprano.   
Favourite Musical: Falsettos.  
Hobbies: Painting, writing essays  
Did She Survive The Apotheosis?: No. No she didn't.  
If Not, Cause Of Death: Got a cut on her arm running from the infected and slowly she became one of them.   
What Number Dead Was She?: She wasn't the first and she wasn't the last. She was about third last to go.  
Favourite Song: Dancing In The Moonlight - Toploader  
Theme Song: Emperor's New Clothes - Panic! At The Disco  
Used In Roleplay?: Yes, but only if you have permission to use her, if not then I roleplay her lmao

_**FACECLAIM:** _

****Faceclaim: @robertstanion  
Age: I have a senior citizenship pass in the Starkid fandom but am actually so young irl. However, I'm too mature for my age.  
Height: 4"10 and I'll eat your kneecaps  
Ethnicity: White British (although my family call me Indian???)  
Sexuality: I put the Bi in Bird and in Bible amen  
Pronouns: She/Her  
Gender: Female  
Birthday: 19/08  
Favourite Song/s: Dancing In The Moonlight - Toploader, Nine In The Afternoon - Panic!, King of the Clouds - Panic!, Just Like A Pill - P!nk, Victorious - Panic!, pretty much anything by the vamps  
Favourite Artist/s: The Vamps, Panic! At The Disco, Backstreet Boys, Melanie Martinez  
Favourite Musical/s: TGWDLM, TTO, Firebringer, Twisted, Falsettos.  
Theme Song/s: Victorious - Panic!, New Friends - Maty Noyes, Mr Brightside - The Killers, I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys,   
Vocal Range: Mezzo but can hit Soprano notes. AND I WILL-  
Hobbies: Drawing, Painting, Singing, quoting musicals, writing fanfiction/essays, making people laugh  
Hogwarts House: Slytherin  
Patronus: Scops Owl  
Likes: Singing, animals, being alone :))), my friends, tiktok, vines  
Dislikes: my ex boyfriend bc he's a dickhead, people who hate on autistic people, transphobes, homophobes  
Phobias: Vomit (though I use it a lot in my stories, if it's in a story it's fine, if I see it or hear it I have a panic attack full stop.), spiders, insects, deep water.  
Favourite Subject: Maths/English/Media  
Disabilities?: Aspergers Syndrome  
Dream Job: English Teacher/Author  
Occupation: School Student  
Pets: Doris - Tortoise, Boo - Cat, Cassian - Cat, Anakin - Cat, Chivers - Cat, Hercules - Cat, Scamp - Cat  
Favourite Animal: Bird/Cat  
Fandoms: Starkid, Heathers, Falsettos, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Be More Chill, Book Of Mormon, Mean Girls, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel, Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Good Place.  
Social Media:   
@robertstanion: tumblr, instagram, ao3  
@AnakinSDV: roblox lmao, wattpad  
@ticklemewiggly: finnstagram  
@poesesgood edits_: youtube


	8. Just Like A Pill: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long awaited part 2. be prepared for a shit ton of tears. also some of them might be yours-

**Sentence Starter: She waited in anticipation.**   
**Time Limit: 1 hour**   
**Overdrive: 1 hour 5 minutes**   
**Genre: Angst/Sad**   
**Word Count: 1929**   
**Time Taken To Write: 52 minutes, 17 seconds**

* * *

She waited in anticipation. Sure, she couldn't stop Paul from coming but maybe the nurse could. God she'd forgotten all about how Paul was her emergency contact. Emma still couldn't see. It was all blurred and distorted. What was the point in keeping her eyes open if there was nothing to see. Someone walked into the room and someone left. She took a deep breathe. She could do this. 

* * *

"So you're saying it's all my fault then." Emma said, mascara staining her cheeks.   
"No I'm-" he reconsidered. "Yes. it's all your fault, I've done nothing wrong." What had he done wrong? He wasn't a scary guy! Why did she suddenly hate him?  
"You know what Paul, I'm done. I'm done with you, I'm done with this relationship." He watched the ring drop from her hand to the floor as she shoved her way past him out the door. Anger took a hold of him. He screamed as he punched the wall. Luckily, it didn't leave a mark, only the graze on his hand. Holding his wrist, he sank to the floor, tears fighting their way out of Paul's eyes. What had he done wrong? He couldn't figure it out. He cried silently to himself. It was over for good now wasn't it. She'd find someone better and that would be the person she'd have a family with. Not him. And he'd do anything to change the events that had just happened. He didn't want to go anywhere in the house because there were traces of Emma everywhere. Her clothes, her perfume, it was almost dead without her. He was dead without her. He could feel him spiralling out of control when his phone rang. "H-Hello?" he said, trying to make it sound like he, a 30 year old man, had not just been crying for the past 2 hours.   
 _"Hello is this Mr Paul Matthews?"  
_ "Yes and this is?"  
" _This is Nurse Caroline Andies and it has come to our awareness you are Miss Emma Perkins' emergency contact?"_ What's happened. His heart was beating quicker than he could control and he didn't like it.  _"Okay then. Miss Perkins was in a hit and run incident an hour and a half ago and she's showing signs of consciousness. We just thought it would be alright to ring you."_ A hit and run. Emma was hurt and he wasn't there.   
"Okay, when she wakes up can you tell her I'll be there as quick as I can?" His voice cracked slightly.   
" _Yes sis, yes I can."_ And she hung up. Paul grabbed a rucksack and threw some of Emma's posessions in it. She'd want them but she wouldn't want him. He dropped to his knees to find something in one of the drawers if he could when he saw the ring. He didn't know why he picked it up but he did. He slid it in his pocket and continued searching. When he felt like he had enough, he got in his car as quick as he could. He was shaking as he drove. The hospital was a few hours from where Paul lived, without traffic it could be an hour if he was lucky. The hour and a half drive was painful. He couldn't control himself. He kept crying out of nowhere. Did it piss him off? Yes. Yes it did. Because Emma was hurt and she was in pain and it was  _his fault._ He finally got there. Grabbing the bag from the passenger seat and locking up the car, he power walked to the front desk. "Excuse me, I'm Paul Matthews. Do you perhaps know where Emma Perkins is?" The nurse gave a sweet smile.   
"Oh yes! She came in a few hours ago. I was going to go and check up on her anyways." Paul gave a sigh of relief. At least somebody knew what they were doing around here. One of the nurses in the room walked out and this new nurse walked in. He sat on a chair outside of her room. He didn't know if he was ready to see her. It was too late to turn back now. The nurse gave a nod and a smile and stepped out the room. He knocked on the door. 

* * *

 

"Come in." A very sarcastic response came Emma. She wasn't paying attention to anyone. The person who had previously entered the room had since left and now there was a knock at the door. She needed company but maybe she needed to be alone for 5 minutes. She had her eyes shut so she didn't know who it was. The door shut and there was a silence.  _Fuck it._ She opened her eyes. Even though it was blurred, she made out a rough outline of the person and what the person was wearing. "Paul? Is that you I can't see." If it was Paul she would lose it again. She'd start crying all over again. She made a mistake earlier and would do anything to take it back. She had a panic attack and she never told Paul about her anxiety so now he thinks she hates him and-  
"Yeah its me..." The sound of the chair creaking came from nearby. She turned her body away from him. Even though she'd shut her eyes again, she didn't want Paul to see her crying. God, she loved him and she'd really fucked up this time.  "How are you doing?" He asked but she didn't reply.   
"I'm so sorry Paul, I'm so sorry for everything..." She didn't know what needed tobe said. She'd figure it out soon enough. She heard Paul sigh and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "You could have just told me you didn't want to get married..."  
"Can we please not talk about this. We'll have to at some point just not now..."   
"Nobodys making you." Why was she being blunt? It was his fault she'd left him anyways!  
"Your here." She was still in disbelief. After everything that had happened and he still came to see her. Did he still care about her? There was a pretty high chance.   
"Yeah and so are you. How did you end up here." 

* * *

"Yeah and so are you. How did you end up here." Why are you trying to fight with her now Paul. You were the one crying over her an hour ago. God, he could be such an asshole. Emma had turned away from him which was pretty understandable and she was pretty fucking vulnerable and Paul had decided to be an asshole.  
"Um well...I can't remember exactly but I...I got hit by a car a couple of streets away from CCRP and-"  
"I'm sorry, you were hit a few streets away from CCRP?" Why was Emma going that route? He'd raised his voice slightly.   
"Paul please don't shout!" She pleaded. "I was going to see Melissa she said I could stay at hers for a while..." Paul sighed. It was her fault she'd left but it was his fault why. "I thought I could make it in time because the light was on red and I was walking and...I remember nothing after that." She turned back to him, opening her eyes. "Stay? Please stay with me."  
"Emma I'm not going anywhere and I'm sticking with my word." He wanted to hold her hand, to sit next to her with her head on his shoulder, but he couldn't do that. They had only had a fight a few hours ago. But he wouldn't go. He needed to be with her because, well, she needed him. "I love you so so so much and I'm so sorry for being such an asshole earlier I shouldn't have hurt you like that..." She said suddenly out of nowhere. Paul nodded.  
"I appreciate it." I appreciate it? Paul what is wrong with you!? You're making yourself to sound like a psychopath! He would happily leave after saying that. But he wouldn't. He'd stay. For Emma. He was no about to try to redeem himself. "How long are you in here for?" He made his voice soft again.   
"I don't know. They might have told me but I think I hit my head pretty hard and I can't really remember anything after..." Her voice faded. How badly Paul wanted to hold Emma in his arms, to let her know it'd be okay. "I bought you your stuff by the way." The words felt like daggers. He was handing over her possessions. They were truly over now. She nodded and he sat back down. "Oh god I'm so happy right now." She smiled. Paul furrowed his eyebrows.   
"Really."   
"And in pain and unable to see clearly and I shouldn't really be talking because my throat hurts like hell but I couldn't care less"  
"You probably shouldn't be talking..." Emma sighed. She'd done that a lot lately. So had he. They weren't very happy at the minute. Why? And it wasn't helping that the tone he was using on her. He couldn't help it. A part of him was still mad at her, a part was still upset. "Paul I...um...I-I feel like you hate me. Your acting differently around me." Her smile faded. "Is it because of what I said earlier? Is it because I'm in here? Can you please tell me why..." She bit her lip. She had a habit of doing that as well.   
"I'm not acting differently..." He shrugged. He was and he knew it.   
"Oh...okay if you say so..." Paul nodded.   
"I do." There was another silence.   
"Are you ok?" She said in a quiet voice.   
"I'm just pissed." He replied. Pissed at whoever hit Emma and left her for dead. She nodded.   
"I mean Melissa managed to find me because she got a clear view from her office-"  
"Melissa found you." Paul sighed again. "And she didn't tell me."  
"Oh Paul I-" She cut herself off.   
"Emma it's not your fault." He tried to smile but it felt fake. Everything felt like a lie.   
"I'm an asshole of a girlfriend..." She said turning over, reaching for her face as she did so. He couldn't depict whether she was crying or just touching her face.   
"Is that what we're back to. "Boyfriend and Girlfriend" He mimed quotation marks with his hands and Emma seized up.   
"I... _are_ you mad at me?" her voice was shaking. She was crying. Oh my god Paul. This is definitely your fault.   
"You threw the ring on the floor. You said you weren't going to be honest with me. Fucks sake I don't even know if your being honest with me now!" she is, Paul, she's in a hospital! She wouldn't lie to you now! "You said you were scared of me without any explanation?! Of course I'm still going to be mad at you." He was. And he couldn't deny it. But he didn't hate her. He never could.   
"You never even attempted to try and understand what I was saying!" her voice was breaking. She shouldn't be speaking.  
"You shouldn't be speaking."  
"I don't care Paul!"  
"Emma, it's only going to make recovery harder-"  
"Stop trying to change the subject! You want to talk about that then that's what we're talking about."  
"I just don't want to fight."  _Because I love you too much to lose you again._ "There are bigger things to worry about."  
"Like what."  
"Like the fact your in hospital?"  
"I'm fully aware of that!" How did someone manage to sound so pissed while crying. Paul couldn't do it. He either sounded pissed or really fucking upset. There was no inbetween. She turned back around. "So essentially, you hate me."

 

 

 


	9. Just Like A Pill Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i need an hour to write this devastating 3 part series ffs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note, i really love writing as paul. don't ask why. I just do.   
> -  
> side side note, guess which phone paul has and guess which phone emma has based on punctuation and capitalisation.   
> -  
> side side side note: catch me using big words like "indefinite and fantasised" in this chapter.

**Sentence Starter: "So essentially you hate me." Paul turned back to face her in shock.**   
**Time Limit: an hour**   
**Overdraft: 1 hour 5 minutes:**   
**Time Took To Write: 31 minutes 24 seconds**   
**Wordcount: 1348**   
**Genre: Angst/Sad**

* * *

"So essentially you hate me." Paul turned back to face her in shock. How could she think he of all people hated her? If he hated her, he wouldn't even be here. If anything, it was the opposite. "No Emma, I hate whoever put you in here. I'm mad at you. There's a difference." Emma looked back up at him.   
"No Paul. There is no difference."  
"Yeah, there is. Hate is irreversible."  
"No. No it's not."  
"Are you just going to reflect everything I say?!" He raised his voice again. This time Emma didn't jump. Why was he putting all this stress on himself? It was hurting him to see her like this. He should probably go. She had her stuff anyways. It wouldn't hurt her him being here. If he didn't see her in pain then he could finally move on. _But he couldn't._ He couldn't move on. He knew he wouldn't be able to. And the thing was, it hurt. It hurt knowing he'd become so attached to the one person he thought he finally had a chance with and nope, she dumps you. "Pretty much." Emma replies in a breathless tone. Paul stood up. She'd made it quite clear she didn't want him here but he wanted to stay. But it was Emma before himself. It had always been that way. It never had changed, not even after their relationship had ended. "Great. There's no point me being here then." Emma became alert almost immediately. "No Paul" Dont...please don't leave me alone please don't leave me alone..." She kept repeating it. Her voice was breaking. It was weak and tired (and op was just about to put "and needs new batteries") He sighed, still having his back turned. "You need to stop speaking Em." He gave up and trusted his instincts so he sat down on the chair again. Bill was the only person he'd told about the engagement. So he texted him a simple "engagement's off." and didn't bother looking at the response. He noticed Emma grab something from the corner of his eye and a text popped up on his screen.   
 _Can we text if we can't talk?_ He smiled slightly. It wasn't the best time to be doing that but who gives one.   
"sure." he replied. 

_Are we even in a relationship or have I lost you forever? Because that seems to be exactly what's happened._

He looked away from her and back to his screen. Shit. He didn't know. "I wish I could tell you."

_Because I don't want to lose you ok? I still love you and you know it. Why do you think you were the one I messaged telling you where I was._

"Emma you threw the ring on the ground."

_Because I was pissed! And your pissing me off now!_

"it showed what you really thought"

_Why did you all of a sudden want to rush our relationship? If that's what we even had! You know I want to marry you your just blinded by your own stupidity! Why did you ask me to marry you in probably the worst time in my life!_

Paul had asked to marry her because, in secret, when he went to blow up the meteor, he became infected temporarily. And he hadn't been the same since. In fact, he'd been worse. He'd had throwbacks to high school. Fucking high school when his love for musical theatre disintegrated in front of his eyes. He couldn't breathe as his breathe caught on his throat. He'd asked her to marry him because he didn't want to lose her. It's not that he was speeding their relationship up, it was him making sure the two could survive even with all the drama. Where had he gone wrong?! Well he couldn't tell Emma about the incident in high school it would concern her more than it concerned him."I'm not asking to get married yet."

_So why do you keep bringing up the fucking ring?_

Did he? He couldn't recall it. Maybe because this conversation, sort of conversation had escalated pretty quickly and it had all turned into a sort of blur. "I'm asking to get engaged, not married yet." he sighed. She was texting. He was speaking. 

_So you still want to marry me?_

"I think we need to give it time before making decisions like that again." yes. Paul why couldn't you have just said yes? You know you still want to marry her now stop being an asshole and tell her what you want!

_Do you still want a relationship with me?_

"I don't know what I want yet!" yes. Yes you do. You want to hold her close and tell her everything's going to be okay. You want a relationship with her. She wants one with you. She's told you she loves you twice tonight and you've just gone and flat out refused to acknowledge it! Get your head in the game!

_So now your saying because I'm not ready to get married you now no longer know if you even want to be around me?_

"I don't know what I want!" Stop getting frustrated Paul, just calm down we can do this. She loves you we really are too blind to see. 

_Then make up your mind! You know what I want. I want you to stay with me because your the only person I trust fully. Apparently you don't trust me anymore._

"Emma, you can't force me into these decisions alright?!"

_Yes I know that! But all these answers are vague and indefinite! I've been through so much today and all I want is the truth._

"I'm telling you the truth." Well Paul you haven't said you want a relationship with her. Emma went quiet. She hadn't texted him back for a few minutes now. "Can we please talk about this later? when i know what i want for sure." Emma had left him on read.  _That bastard-_ she threw her phone down roughly on the bed. She turned away from him again. "You need to understand how much you hurt me earlier." She couldn't respond and Paul knew it so why was he getting pissed again. "I can't just jump back into what we previously had." No response. Don't get mad she's hurting..."See! This is what's pissing me off about you! I'm the only one making effort between us-" thats a lie"-while you sit there looking for someones pity-" she should be pitied she was in a hit and run "-i'm trying to fix things between us and work through these problems of ours. But if you no longer want that then fine." Emma turned back to face him, sitting up, the look of anger in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak. 

"I'm sorry.  _You're_ the only one making an effort? Oh well I'm sorry sir that I'm hospitalised, totally ditching the fact I'm not even supposed to be speaking because oh wait I'm the one who was in a hit and run so you can fuck off with that point. This is how I felt earlier when you were all like "it's normal for us to fight blah blah blah" shit. emma was right. This was exactly what had happened earlier. God only now did he understand. Why didn't he try to understand earlier? "I'm not looking for anyone's pity thankyou very much! I always knew you were too good for me yet I stayed with you, I supported you, fuck I even loved you! I have fantasised about starting a family with you on multiple occasions and guess what, your more of an asshole than I thought! But you don't want that!" She shouted at him.  _She shouted at him._ She was going to make herself worse.   
"We can't keep fighting. Especially while your in here." He said bluntly, cutting her off. God she really loved him and he'd truly fucked it up. She wanted a family with him? He'd never even considered it. But maybe Emma would be the person. God now he was fantasising about it and it was breaking him. He had to do something about this...and quick. 

 


	10. Great Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FEATURING THE LOML TEE TAYLOR HARGREEVES

**Sentence Starter: She remembered high school.**  
Time Limit: 40 minutes  
Overdraft: 1 hour  
Word Count: 657 aka one of the shortest chapters in this book  
Time Taken To Write: 18 minutes 7 seconds

* * *

She remembered high school. "Tee" Hargreeves was one of the most respected students at Hatchetfield High. By that she meant everyone was scared of her. Including the principal which had it's advantages. When she was 16, she realised her life was going to change when her mother and father announced a divorce. She couldn't feel anything. She just went numb. And it sucked. She needed that support yet she didn't get it because her parents had split. The reason being? Her mother was having an affair with some dude called Aaron Matthews. And it didn't really break her. Especially since she got to live in this house. She noticed her mother, after the split, she noticed her mother moving boxes into the spare room. "Mom, what are you doing?" She asked early one morning.   
"Oh, Aaron's moving in today." Tee had expected that to have happened. "And he's bringing Paul!" Paul. Who's Paul? "Oh shoot, honey, Paul's going to be your new stepbrother." Great. So that was how she found out her mother was now engaged. She was going to struggle. She sat in her room on her laptop typing new things on her essay about photosynthesis for her favourite professor. There was a knock at the door. She sighed. "What!" She shouted. She was in a shit mood as it was and she didn't really want human interaction. The door opened and there at the door was an unfamiliar boy. God, he was tall. "Can I help you?" She said, confused.   
"Oh um, I'm Paul Matthews you must be Tay-"  
"Tee. My names Tee." She replied tapping out the remainder of her essay. Paul shut the door.   
"I'm just as pissed as you about the whole affair situation. My dad was having an affair with your mom and now we're going to be step siblings. Now I've never met you before because I go to Timberwolves yet I've seen you around town. And you wanna know something? I haven't spoken to my dad for 4 weeks. That was when he told me they were engaged."  
"I'm sorry, they've been engaged for a month?!"  
"Yep. And I'm still not talking to my dad. I found out I'd be getting a stepsister and I guess that's you. Your pretty cool not gonna lie."  
"You transferring to Hatchetfield High?"  
"No. I'm staying at Timberwolves but with our stupid theatre programme it demands us to go and see whatever show HH are performing."  
"Well it's Hamilton this year..."  
"Oh fucking glorious!" He said.   
"Wait...don't tell me you don't like musicals?!" he shook his head. "Jesus christ! Bet you'll love sitting in our auditorium for two hours in a show that's literally just music." She beckoned for him to come and sit by her and he did. She spun her laptop to the left. "Your a year above me right?"  
"Yeah how did you guess?"  
"I guess a lot, anyways read this and tell me if this is correct. If I don't get an A Emma's going to mock me for eternity. That or I could just tell sir that I couldn't be assed to do the assignment."  
"No Tee this is good!" He nodded. "Emma's your friend?"  
"Oh yeah." She pulled out a pic of her on her phone and showed him. He went slightly pink. "Paul Matthews, do you find my best friend attractive?" She fake gasped. "Because 10/10 me too. She's hilarious. I should introduce you two. Actually, pretty sure Timberwolves are supposed to be coming to our school for rehearsals of Act 1 in a few months. I overheard Miss Rains telling Prof. Hidgens lmao. If that happens, we're both in the show. You'll hear us. We're both sopranos." He looked confused. "High pitched notes. We have competitions to out sing each other. Anyways she's got a main part and I play someone who forces the lead to have an affair. I could introduce you." he laughed.   
"I'd like that. Your cool."  
"You've said that...but thanks Paul."  
"No problem Tee."

 

 


	11. Emma Falls Ill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Emma falls unwell while Paul is at work.

**Sentence Starter: "Can you stay off today?"**   
**Time Limit: 1 hour**   
**Overdrive: 1 hour 10 mins**   
**Genre: sick fic/fluff**   
**Word Count: 470**   
**Time Taken To Write: thought this would take a lot longer but it took 16 minutes 26 seconds**

* * *

"Can you stay off today?" Emma asked Paul who was currently tying his tie in the mirror. She felt like she was going to throw up but worse. Paul chuckled.   
"Why do you ask?" He smiled, looking at her in the mirror.   
"I feel like I'm going to throw up." She sighed. She was a lot paler than usual.  
"Babe I'm so sorry but I have to go in today. We're pitching new ideas otherwise I'd call in." Emma sighed and nodded. "Emma, look at me." So she did as he spun around and approached her. "If you throw up, ring me." she nodded. She tried to smile but her whole body felt heavy. He'd do anything to stay with her. Anything. 

Hours seemed to pass very slowly for the both of them. Paul couldn't stop worrying about Emma. Emma was watching something on the TV when she suddenly felt a lot worse. Her head began pounding as she stumbled to the bathroom. She gagged a lot before throwing up. She felt so weak and all she wanted was Paul. She rang Paul but he didn't answer. She kept hitting ring but he wouldn't answer. And she couldn't stop throwing up. When she thought she'd stopped, she walked back to her room. It wasn't easy. She ended up stumbling over her own feet and hitting her head on the door. 

Paul got out of the meeting and looked at his phone. 39 missed calls? from Emma? he remembered what he'd said earlier. He explained to his boss and his boss waved him away. He drove home immediately and shouted her but there was no response. He ran up the stairs and saw Emma passed out on the floor. "Em, darling?" He held on to her arm. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. "No. No Emma stay here don't sit up yet." How did she get on the floor? She couldn't remember. The last she thing remembered was puking a lot. "Ah fuck my head." tears brimmed her eyes. She hated feeling ill. Paul grabbed a bucket from the spare room and left it outside the door. "You tell me when your ready for me to move you." Paul smiled. Emma didn't. Paul slid his arms underneath her and with a small nod, carried her to her bed. The sudden movement made Emma nauseous again. "Paul-" But Paul grabbed the bucket and passed it to her. Paul put it by her side of the bed and he handed her a towel. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled.   
"Oh sweetheart don't apologise for being ill. This isn't your fault. I should have stayed home today anyways nothing interesting happened in the meeting." She didn't know why she was crying but she was. "I feel like shit." Paul nodded.   
"I know."  
"Don't leave."  
"I won't."


	12. Average Day At Beanies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything gets too much for a certain CCRP technical worker whilst Emma is working a shift alone

**Sentence Starter: Why did it have to be today?  
Time Limit: 40 mins  
Overdraft: 1 hour  
Word Count: 1244. im pretty sure another one of these chapters has something similar to this wordcount lmao good luck this shit got real intense real quick. and yes the couch is green.   
Genre: Angst  
** **Time Taken To Wrote: 34 minutes 7 seconds (part of this time was spent on the Jason Derulo gc hello to yall)**  
Triggers?: Brief mention of vomit. 

* * *

Why did it have to be today? It was fine any other day but not today. Not the most important day or the year for CCRP. The time when they discovered whether they were staying or leaving the company. Everything seemed to set him on edge. Especially since the apotheosis. He tensed at the word. After the apotheosis he could still feel his jaw trying to be controlled by the hivemind. How he was incapable of controlling himself. He could feel the pulse under his veins, through his nervous system. And he hated feeling out of control. He didn't pay attention during the meeting but he did hear the part where he was staying. He was on his computer trying to organise this months statistics when everything advertised on the websites he was searching for document ideas were of musicals. He could feel the rhythm getting stronger. He could feel it trying to break through. Emma. He'd go to Emma. If he could hang on for the remaining 5 minutes of his shift, he could go and see Emma. It had been a few months since the apotheosis had happened and they'd gotten together as soon as they could. But Paul hadn't really been the same. 4 oclock. His shift had ended. He clocked out, grabbed his bag which now had his laptop in, and pegged it.

* * *

4 oclock and Paul hadn't been on his coffee break. Probably something was wrong, possibly not. She had another 2 hours before her shift ended and it was a fairly busy day. And she was doing a shift on her own. She hated working single shifts because it gave her so much pressure and she had to put up with the assholes of Hatchetfield. However, she could make her own coffee her own way with how she was taught when she worked on her own, and that's why it was busy. Because she made everything from scratch and didn't follow Nora's shitty recipes. Emma perched herself at the counter on a stool when the door opened. Nobody seemed to pay attention except her. He looked panicked and she went into alert mode. She beckoned for him to come behind the bar and he gladly followed. She put the bell on the counter that would be used if there was a new customer, or one already there who wanted something else. She was a favourite of the customers, she had noticed, probably her coffee. Paul followed her into the backroom. It wasn't too small and had it's own coffee machine and ingredients and shit but it also had sofas. She sat down on the sofa and Paul sat next to her, dropping his bag on the floor. "Bad day?" He nodded. She held on to his forearm to comfort him, but he was shaking. Her heart seemed to drop and rise again sympathetically. "This is the singing coffee shop, you could have gone home." She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"I needed to see you..." His voice was quiet. She smiled. 

"Hey, I got you a present." She got up and walked over to the counter and pulled some noise-cancelling headphones out the box. "They're noise cancelling headphones. It means you can work in peace while I'm working. They don't play music." He looked at the headphones as if they were something more abstract than they were and cautiously pulled them on. Emma sat back down. He was still shaking, but not as hard. He'd relaxed. "I love you." He smiled. His voice was louder than usual, but it was more than likely to hear himself talking. She gave a thumbs up and motioned for him to take them off a minute. 

"Can you get on with your work now? The stuff you didn't manage to do at CCRP?" He nodded as the bell chimed outside. Paul gave a weak smile and put on his headphones again. She walked to the bar and took the young girl's order. "What's your name darlin'? I don't think I've seen you in here before." She smiled, pouring the coffee.

"Oh! I'm Melissa...I work at CCRP with Paul. I have something to give him do you know where he is?" She smiled. 

"He's back here. Drop it off and go, he might not hear you though." The girl gave a look of confusion, shook her head, and walked into the direction Emma was pointing her in. 

* * *

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Melissa at the door. Confused, he took off his headphones. Big mistake. "Oh, hey Melissa." He smiled. He'd calmed down a lot more than what he was in his original state when he first arrived here. 

"Hey Paul! Mr Davison wanted me to give you these files. You left them at the office?" As the brown envelopes touched his skin, he heard Emma singing again.  _No no no no no._ He could feel his jaw aching, willingly wanting to join in the song. He gripped a hold of the green leather tightly. He began shaking, trying to fight off the song. He couldn't reach for it. Melissa gave a sweet smile as a goodbye and walked out. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.  _No no no no no._ Not here, not now, not in public. It hurt. It was like he had a stitch but it was all over his body. It hurt to fight. He couldn't stop shaking and he was frozen to the spot. He was being forced to listen to Emma's voice. God it was beautiful. Why had he been affected? Why was it now whenever someone opened his mouth his chest tightened in fear that they'd sing. The room began swaying gently and Paul tried to steady himself out...and failed. He could feel himself falling as the room continued spinning but he was as helpless as ever. 

* * *

Emma saw Melissa leave and she started her goodbye song up unaware of the scene happening behind her in the room backstage. There was a thud on the ground but she couldn't figure out where from. Nobody in here had fallen and if they had they'd gotten up quick enough. Maybe she knocked something over? Or maybe Paul had. She'd go and check on him. She jogged into the room behind her. "Everything okay in here?" Her eyes missed him on the floor at first but when they noticed him, she went into alert mode 2.0. She grabbed a bucket from under the counter and ran back in. "It's okay...it's okay. It's gone it's not going to get you." She said reassuringly. But by his face, he didn't believe her. 

"Melissa had to talk to me and I took off my headphones to hear her and-"

"Paul don't apologise." She helped him sit up and handed him the bucket which did come into use. 

"I'm sorry. I'm a fuck up of a boyfriend." Emma smacked him by accident. 

"You have something to be sorry about now. Never say that about yourself. Now I'll go and change the sign to no singing because you need to get on with your work, I'll keep checking on you and Paul, I'll drive." She was stubborn as hell and let everyone know about it. But she was worse when it came to her Paul. Sure, he could fuck up certain situations sometimes but in no way was  _he_ the fuck up. And she'd let him know about it. 

 

 

 

 


	13. Get Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my babies have a fight ngg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this really just becoming a paulkins book sjsjd  
> -  
> NOTES: Prior to the chapter, Paul and Emma had an argument that ended their engagement. They're back together. But you wait.

**Sentence Starter: Emma had woken up with the same feeling she had the day Jane was hit by a car and she'd been trying to figure out why**  
**Time Limit: 1 hour**  
**Overdraft: 1 hour 10 mins**  
**Category: A N G S T**  
**Wordcount: 723**  
**Time Taken To Write: 19 minutes 34 seconds**  
**Triggers?: lots of angry**

* * *

Emma had woken up with the same feeling she had the day Jane was hit by a car and she'd been trying to figure out why. She'd gotten a call from Paul saying it was because Charlotte was hurting because it had been a year since the apotheosis so a year since Sam died. The feeling subsided (i love that word.) Emma had spent the entire day with Tee because Paul was worried she'd do something stupid. It was Emma's day off. There was a knock on their bedroom door and Emma's heart fluttered. "Hey." He smiled. Him and Tee had just had a fight. She could hear it from her bedroom. "Did the call help?" Emma nodded.

"What just happened? Tee left really suddenly and then there was a lot of screaming." Paul sat down next to her. Should he tell her? He probably should. 

"I'm not exactly sure except she was blaming me for a shit ton of things I didn't do and guilt tripping me. Not what I needed when I came home from work but oh well.

"Tee wouldn't just have a go at someone without a reason."

"Well she did. Actually she said it's because I didn't talk to her for a year but if she wanted to talk she should have reached out to me. God I hate my sister some time. Oh. She also blamed me for our breakup so that was fun." Emma stayed silent for a second. 

"Is she hiding anything from me?"

"No. She wouldn't hide anything from you."

"I don't know she just seemed very...on edge."

"Well its been a year since Sam died meaning it's also a year since the apotheosis making it a year since she was infected-"

"Say that again." Emma became serious very quickly. 

"What? That she'd been infected?"

"She was infected?!"

"You didn't know? Emma she's half of the reason  _I_ was the reason." Sure, Tee Hargreeves was his stepsister, didn't make them as close as they used to be. 

"What!" She shouted. Paul placed his hands on her shoulders and sat in front of her in hopes of calming the situation down.

"I thought she told you."

"She told me everything  _but_ that. Anyways how was your day." She said in a sarcastic manner. She couldn't be pissed at her best friend. Paul hadn't spoken to Tee. Why? Because Paul knew she was one of the reasons he was infected. She acted like she wanted to help when in reality she was infected. He should have seen the signs sooner. Emma sighed a heavy sigh. "Is there anything else she's not telling me."

"I assume you don't know she's moving to Clivesdale." Emma shook her head. "Wow. Some friend to you she is, Em." The air had tensed (and I write Sins just came on get bread this lets) 

"Paul. Don't. I don't need a fight now."

"Why are you defending her Emma? She's hiding things from you?! Cut her out of your life like I did! If she's telling me things and not you doesn't that say something?"

"She's your sister. She's going to tell you things before me. And no. It's not obvious." 

"Doesn't that say something in itself?"

"Stop trying to fight with me Paul!"

"And do what as well? Should I stop defending you for your sake?!" Emma didn't say anything. "Tell me what you mean then."

"You need to focus on being a better person."

"How."

"Just focus on yourself I beg! You were never like this before the apotheosis! You were kinder, you were sweeter, fuck you even took my ideas into consideration! Now your just using me!"

"I don't understand what do you mean focus on myself?"

"I MISS YOU! I miss the old you...."

"What. Weak Paul. Paul who cared too much. Paul who was too scared to say anything. Listen Emma, times have changed. And so have I."

"We're all trying to change for the better. So why aren't you."

"Because it wasn't the fact I got infected, Emma. During the apotheosis a part of me changed. I'm different. And if you can't accept that then maybe you don't love me." Emma sighed and slid further down the bed. 

"Want proof I love you." Paul didn't have time to answer before she crashed herself into him knocking him backwards so he was on his back and she was pretty much on top of him. "Now who's taking that suit off you or me."

 


	14. The Fluffiest Fluff You've Ever Fluffed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's so much fluff

**Prompt: _I remember practising asking you out in the mirror/A got too excited with something and ended up punching B in the face as their first encounter.  
_ Time Limit: 30 minutes**   
**Overdraft: 35 minutes**   
**Ship: Paulkins (Wow surprise)**   
**Word Count: 860**   
**Genre: Fluff fluff and flUFF**   
**Time Taken To Write: 22 minutes 47 seconds**   
**Triggers?: n/a**

* * *

Paul laughed as a thought crossed his mind. Emma hadn't been in the greatest of moods today and he knew how to lighten it up. "What's the matter with you?" She scoffed, throwing her book down in annoyance. Paul continued to smile.

"I remember practising asking you out in the mirror." She raised an eyebrow signalling that she was interested. "And yet, it went much better than I thought."

"Well now you've got me intrigued." He laughed. He knew he would.

"So you remember when we first met?..."

* * *

It was a rainy day. Actually it was Paul's worst day of the year so far. The date: May 14th 2017. The new coffee chain "Beanies" had opened up down the street and according to recent reviews, it was a bit better than starbucks. So, he thought to ease his mind, he'd go and try it out. He stepped foot in the shop and was immediately blasted with a sense of comfort and warmth. The walls where a green that was a darker lime than he'd originally thought. The tables were that of dark oak and the carpet was a flourished green too that worked surprisingly well with the atmosphere. The heaters on the wall were placed by the tables that had couches almost bolted to them. Along the walls were aesthetically pleasing paintings of different flowers. The counter was that of a white marble and the stools that accompanied it were dark green cushioned attached to silver metal. He went to go and order a black coffee. He needed it. He usually went for a caramel frappucino but because it was a new chain he didn't want to put stress on the new workers. He went in line. In front of him was a small girl in blue denim jeans, a blue denim crop jacket and what appeared to be a white t-shirt. Her sandy hair was let loose. "YES!" Said girl screamed and she jumped up, punching her hands in the air. Unfortunately for Paul, her hands hit his face. This girl was Emma Perkins who hit Paul Matthews on the face in their very first encounter. But she'd just scored a job and she couldn't be happier. Paul was just in the wrong place in the wrong time.

* * *

"And from that point, I knew there was something special about you. I've never had someone so enthusiastic to that they punched me in the face. I still am, frankly, in shock to that you managed to even jump that high."

"Hey. Shut it shortie." Emma replied. That was a running joke between her and Paul. She'd call him shortie even though he most definitely was not. It was almost oxymoronic. "Now I want to know how you planned on asking me out." Paul gave a light laugh under his breathe. 

* * *

 _"Oh, Emma. I know we've known each other for a year now since you...punched me in the face. But I know you probably only see us as friends but if you don't would you like to go on a date with me? No Paul that won't work. You just have to be more casual like. Sup,Emma, do you wanna date me? Oh god she'll definitely say no. What's the point of this. She'll say no to however we ask her."_ Paul Matthews had left his home feeling slightly more nervous. Today was the day he was going to ask Emma out. He'd built up enough courage to do so. Even though the chances of someone as amazing as her accepting his offer was nil to nil, it was worth a shot. So after his shift was over, he walked into Beanies. It was surprisingly empty. "Ahh Mister Matthews, I was beginning to worry you weren't coming to see me today! Ashamed you are 0.5 seconds late!" She said, already at the coffee machine. She had a pen in hand. This wasn't starbucks.

"Miss Perkins you appear to have a pen in your hand this, may I remind you, is not starbucks." He said with a smile, sitting at one of the stools that made this tiny corner store feel like home. 

"Yes Mister Matthews, may I remind you my dickhead coworker is now making me write 'Inspiring Messages' to my customers." She rolled her eyes. Emma Perkins was lying to Paul Matthews but because Paul Matthews was oblivious, he didn't notice the lie. 

"Well isn't that pathetic Miss Perkins."

"Of course it is, sire." She handed over the coffee. "Have a nice evening! Alone. As per usual." She laughed. Paul looked at the message.  _Your such a fucking idiot and I know you want to date me. So I'm doing you a favour. We're dating. I'm free on Saturday._ Paul smiled. "Good evening Mister Matthews I hope you can read!" She smiled sweetly yet sickeningly signifying sarcasm as Paul left the store. 

* * *

"Yeah the reason I was so straight forward is because we weren't getting anywhere! Asshole." She laughed. 

"And my Emma's smiling again." In response to this, Emma rested herself on to Paul, being comforted by the rising of Paul's chest and continued reading her book, now in a better mood than she'd been in all month. 

 

 

 

 

 


	15. How To Ward Off The Apotheosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring everyone's favourite Jane. Also, if you haven't seen the theory Ted was actually married to Jane, it's currently all over instagram and it made me sob, which is perfect for this chapter-

**Story Prompt: _How To Survive The Apocalypse_**   
**Time Limit: 1 hour**   
**Overdraft: 1 hour 10 minutes**   
**Genre: Guide/Sad**   
**Word Count: 1806**   
**Time Taken To Write: 58 minutes 26 seconds**

* * *

 

"Jane?" Emma appeared around the corner. She was planning on moving to Guatamala and she hadn't told her parents. Jane had managed to figure it out. She looked up from her phone, moving her red hair out of her eyes. Jane was the perfect sister. She had the right body, stunning blue eyes and her red hair was perfect. Everything about Jane Samantha Perkins was fantastic. And Emma...Emma had short curlyish brown hair that didn't really fit her brown eyes or her tanned skin. And Emma wasn't really society's version of attractive. Now, I'm not saying that she's not attractive, just not what society wants you to be. Jane smiled. "Jane I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for, Emmy?" The older sister asked, pulling the smaller girl into a hug. 

"I'm sorry for leaving."

"Hey..." She said reasurringly. "We can't stop you. Mom and dad may favour me but your my sister and I'm supporting you. Now your taxis outside. I'll see you next year." Jane never saw Emma again. Emma was gone for 2 years when Jane met him. He was dressed in a suit and had obviously just come from work. She could see the frustration in his eyes. She'd gone out for the night with her friends. Her normally straight hair was curled into ringlets and she wore a slightly revealing black dress. "Jane are you looking at him?" One of Jane's friends asked. She could feel a blush rising to her face. She never normally blushed. "I'm gonna get his number for you, he keeps looking at you." Her heart beat slightly quicker. 

"Come on Mils I need to go to the bathroom." Milly followed. Milly was another friend of hers. She couldn't erase the picture. His brown hair was loose in semi-curls and his grey eyes seemed alive with passion. God, he was  _attractive._ The two girls returned as the other friend, Amelia, came back running. The man was nowhere in sight but Amelia was waving a slip of paper. "To a Miss Jane Perkins as it may concern, here is that guy's number." The friends laughed. Jane left shortly after claiming she had a migraine from the bright lights. She went straight back to her place and tapped in the number. 

* * *

 

Jane: Hey.

Unknown Number: Who's This?

Jane: oh, um, I'm Jane Perkins

Unknown Number: Oh your that hot chic at the bar.

Jane: And what's your name?

Unknown Number: Ted. Ted Harris. 

Jane: so you think I'm hot?

Ted: most definitely. 

Jane: same goes for you. 

Ted: are you free tomorrow?

Jane: pretty much.

Ted: cool. I'll pick you up at 7. 

* * *

Adrenaline mixed with excitement as she applied her makeup for the date that evening. He came half an hour early and that was fine. God he was so attractive, she thought again as she followed him to his car. They went to a restaurant. He worked at CCRP, she worked as a teacher. They were both loaded with money and knew how to spend it well. 2 years after meeting, they got engaged. A year after they were married. In the same year they had their first child who they named Kiera. A year after they had another kid who was called Harrison and the year after that they had another daughter named Emily. And all the same, Jane hadn't seen Emma for the past few years and it hurt. "Oh! Ted, sweetheart, I just have to go to Henry's. He had something to show me." Ted nodded. 

"I've got the kids, don't worry sweetheart." She walked to Henry's place and knocked. He let her in. 

"Jane. You were a star student of mine now I need to show you something because I know  _you_ won't think I'm crazy." So she followed Henry Hidgens to the screen. On the screen was a meteor that appeared as purple. 

"So what your saying is that contains alien activity that has the ability to...genetically reconstruct a human being, taking hold of the brain and turn it into...a singing zombie?" She asked. 

"Exactly, Jane. I've been studying this meteor for several years now and in the next few years it will rip through Earth's atmosphere and land...here." Jane was astounded. 

"And how do we stop it from getting to us?"

"Well Jane, here are my notes. I was wondering if you could tape yourself saying them. If it comes from another teacher there they'll believe it."

"Of course, sir. I'll get your notes back to you tomorrow." She beamed and walked back home. 

* * *

The next day didn't go as planned. It was, unintentionally, Jane's last day as a teacher at the HF community college. For when she was driving home, she was in a hit and run. With a  _cop car._ But guess who didn't know that. Ted had gone to pick the three kids up from the babysitters and from school when his phone rang. "Hello this is Ted Harris who am I speaking to?"  _  
Hello this is Nurse Allen speaking to you from Hatchetfield Hospital concerning Mrs Jane Harris is that correct?  
"_Why's Jane in hospital."  
 _At 16:53 today, Mrs Harris was in a car crash. She was referred here and is asking to see you._  
"Tell her I'll be 5 minutes." He did a U-Turn in the middle of the road and dropped the kids off at Jane's parents place. God if he lost Jane he'd lose himself. He sped there practically and burst through the doors. She looked so peaceful. "Jane it's okay I'm here now." He grabbed her hand. Her heart beat was steady for now. "I'm not going anywhere." He could feel his eyes burning. She was still the prettiest person in the universe.  

"Teddy, I don't have long left. I need you to mail this to someone. And this...this is for you." She passed him two envelopes. One had an E on it, the other said Teddy in her cursive handwriting. She wiped a tear away from his face. She passed away at 18:01. Ted became emotionally unstable. God he went to try and pick up the kids but he couldn't. He wasn't the healthiest person in the world anymore, so he let Jane's parents have full custody over Kiera, Harrison and Emily. He posted the envelope with E on it. He was there at the funeral, hiding in the back. There was a girl with brown hair and brown eyes and tanned skin sitting at the front on her own. She was dabbing furiously at her eyes. She was also holding something brown. He didn't know what it was, he couldn't make it out. 

* * *

The next year Emma knew about the apotheosis. She'd met Paul Matthews who'd changed her world. And they'd ended up at Professor Henry Hidgens'. Henry Hidgens was her biology professor in community college and he looked at her differently when he heard her surname. She didn't know why. A year ago Jane died. And now this. (because this is my oneshot the apotheosis does last over a day.) Day 4, she was sitting in a bedroom with Paul. "Oh, Paul. This is my sister." She held up the brown envelope with the E on it. She opened the DVD tray from the TV and put the disc inside. 

_Hi Emma. I know we haven't spoken in 7 years and I can understand why. I hope your journeys in Guatamala are going well. Listen, I know I'm just on some screen but I need to tell you something. I work at HF Community College as a teacher alongisde Henry Hidgens. And together we have been studying a meteor that's going to bring devastation to Hatchetfield. So, here's The Guide To Warding Off The Apotheosis._

  1. _Stay together. You are going to be more prone to death if your are alone. It knows your more vulnerable_
  2. _Wear as much clothing as you can. If you even get a cut, you could die. The spores will infect you._
  3. _Don't scream. They'll target you._
  4. _Make it seem like you enjoy musicals. If it comes to the worst, you can pick up choreo and make up lyrics. You can camouflage yourself_
  5. _Don't. Kill. Yourself. This one's important. They can smell blood. They'll revive you as part of their shitty musical. And finally._
  6. _Don't let your feelings get the best of you. The stronger you express your feelings, whether it's sadness or determination, you will die._



_Also, Emma, I have 3 kids and a husband you didn't know about because you never came back. My kids are Kiera, Harrison and Emily. My husband is Ted Harris and he is the best and most doting father in the world. You'e just been selfish not to come and visit you. But I love you. And that's why I made this tape. Okay, Em. I hope we'll meet up soon - Jane._

"We never met up. She died in a car crash last year. I shouldn't have gone to the funeral. I rubbed my eyes so hard I accidentally tore skin from under my eyes." Ted heard the tape from outside. Emma Perkins was Jane's sister. Luckily for him, Ted Harris was a fairly common name in Hatchetfield so she didn't know it was him.

But then something happened. The helicopter came crashing down and she was sent to Clivesdale. She wanted to stay with Paul but she couldn't. 

  1. _Stay together. Well she'd failed that._



They ripped her clothes off of her and put her in similar shorts and a t shirt with black flats, no tights or anything. 

_2\. Wear as much clothing as you can. If you get a cut, you'll die._

And she saw Paul and she thought she was safe. "Emma...I'm sorry. You lost." her heart dropped and she started crying. 

6.  _Don't let your feelings get the better of you._

She was vulnerable. And then the musical number progressed. She fought as hard as she could. But the pain killed and she screamed. 

3.  _Don't scream._

And she knew, even if she did try to follow Jane's rules, she'd still be gone. "Sorry Jane..." Tears flooded her eyes. She punched Ted in the face knocking him away and she ran. She ran as fast as she could to the Nuntucket Bridge which was raised. She could hear Paul humming after her. She was making it quite clear she didn't want to be a part of Paul's plan no matter how much she loved him. 

4.  _Make it seem like you enjoy musicals._

Paul grabbed her arm and she jumped. She jumped down and down and she plummetted quicker and quicker. She felt the air leave her body as she hit the jagged rocks. 

5.  _Don't kill yourself._

* * *

She woke up. There was a girl with red hair sitting in front of her. It was a cleaner area than Hatchetfield...but everyone else was here. Charlotte, Ted, Bill, Paul and...Jane...

"Welcome to heaven, sis."              

 

 

 

 


	16. My Sweet Boy - Paulkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul gets stressed. You'll see what happens  
> -  
> featuring dad! Henry Hidgens

**Plot: well, if you read you'll find out**

**Time Limit: an hour**

**Genre: Angst/Sad**

**Word Count: 1080**

**Time Taken To Write: 40 minutes 44 seconds.**

**Triggers: Suicide. Attempt, mentions of not eating but NOT a disorder**

**Headcanons: Paul has autism, Paul has PTSD, Hidgens is everyone's dad (and ted's daddy-)**

* * *

Sure, he had Emma to help him with his autism and his PTSD and all that but...he couldn't cope. And he hated this is what it came to. The time was 2 AM, Emma was sleeping. She thought Paul was sleeping. But Paul...Paul wasn't. Paul was more wide awake than he'd ever been knowing full well what he was about to do. Quietly, he grabbed some jeans and a shirt, he didn't care what shirt, kissed sleeping Emma on the cheek and with a sharp breathe, left his keys and phone on his side of the bed. There was a message left as Paul's homescreen. Furiously wiping away tears, he locked the house up. The dim glow of the streetlights almost seemed to comfort Paul. He shuffled his feet along the sidewalk before seeing his destination. It was empty. The roads were empty. Nobody was there. Everyone would wake up in the morning. Nobody would miss him. He swung his legs over the rails. Shit it was high. He daredn't look down. He didn't want to watch and he didn't want to feel himself falling to his death. It was the perfect suicide. Yet something still felt out of place. Why was he doing this, he had to remind himself. He wanted to be free. To not worry about having an anxiety attack spontaneously or that the smallest thing could trigger his PTSD. He edged closer, his heart pounding. He'd never be missed. His parents didn't really treat him well and he had no siblings. Sure Emma's parent's weren't the greatest either but at least she had a sibling. He edged closer again. Another step and he'd be dead. It's what he wanted. The streetlights were hurting his eyes. He shut his eyes and felt himself fall but something grabbed his wrist.  _Let me die._ He thought. He opened his eyes which were blurred with tears. "You don't need to do this."  _The professor? What was he doing here. "_ I've got you you'll be okay." Maybe he didn't want this. Maybe he could stay with the professor. After meeting the professor, he'd sort of taken over as Paul's father figure as well as Emma's. And he was so fucking grateful and it was Henry who found him dangling off a bridge. "Just keep talking to me, okay?" Tears began to fall from Paul's eyes. 

"Just let me die, Professor." Paul, well, he smiled when he cried. And he grit his teeth and it was a whole ass mess. But still, it was genuine emotion. And he wasn't scared to use it. 

"I won't let you die Paul now grab a hold of me, I'll pull you up." Reluctantly he reached up, but he felt his arm slip. And then he was falling. And he tried to grab a hold of something but there was nothing to grab a hold of. And he heard the professor shout something but he couldn't hear what because he was going to die. And he hit the ground. Hard. And it hurt. And his breathing became short. 

* * *

Henry couldn't sleep. He never did anymore. There was too much to think about. The apotheosis, Emma....Paul. He, like Emma, looked down to him as if he was one of his own children. Except he was a 63 year old gay professor who had no kids of his own. The closest thing he had...was Emma. He approached a bridge which was as high as the Nantucket but less dangerous. And he saw a sillhouette under the light. As he approached he saw it was Paul.  _No._ He broke into a full run which he would have to face the consequences for later but he didn't care. As Paul slipped down he grabbed his arm and it hurt because Paul was almost as tall as him but he wasn't letting someone close to ~~his daughter~~ Emma die. Paul looked up. His eyes were glossed and shiny with tears. "Just let me die." His voice cracked and he looked away from him. And it hurt to see someone he thought of as a son with his life in his hands. "Grab my hand." So Paul reluctantly did. But Henry didn't grab a hold in time. And he watched Paul fall. He shrieked. Luckily nobody was around. God this was Paul's plan. He ran down the steps which killed him and he grabbed Paul's wrist. Blood stained nearby rocks and he was unresponsive...but there was a faint pulse. Why was he crying now? He didn't know. But he immediately dialled 911. And then Emma. 

* * *

Emma's phone rang. It was 3 AM and it was still dark why was Henry ringing her? "Hello?"

"Emma you need to get over to the hospital now your not going to like why."

"Okay um does Paul need to-" She turned to wake Paul up but he wasn't there just his phone and his keys. "Professor where's Paul." She turned his phone on. His lockscreen had changed to a note.... "Professor Paul's phone's here where's Paul and why do I feel like you know."

"Read what's on the screen."

"I know Emma you'll find this and I'll probably be....did he try and...oh my god he killed himself..."

"I tried to stop him....it's my fault he fell."

"What." her voice brimmed with anger. 

"I stopped him from falling and he went to grab my other hand and he slipped and fell. He's...he's in the hospital." She read the rest of the note.  

"Can you come over. I...don't want to see him it's too late...but I need company please..." 

"Of course, Emma." and he hung up. Emma burst into tears. Her Paul had tried to kill himself.  _Her Paul._ Why hadn't he talked to her about it. Henry let himself in. He was so close to the two then it was reasonable to give him another key. Emma saw him at the door. Without thinking, she ran to him. The light switched on. "Okay come on we'll sit down." And he guided the crying girl back to the bed. 

"Why." She sobbed repeatedly. "Why would he do that? Why didn't he tell me about it." She sobbed. The realisation dawned on her. "Usually I'd say fuck you for your insomnia but thankyou for being there for Paul. Thankyou so much. I just...if you hadn't have been there he'd be dead." She cried harder at the thought and Henry comforted her. She was right. But he couldn't go and see Paul until Emma wanted to.

"It's okay." He said in a fatherly whisper. 

* * *

 

At 7AM Emma found she'd fallen asleep on the professor. She blushed. "Don't worry about it. Should we-"

"Yes. We're going now."

"Shouldn't you-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT I LOOK LIKE PROFESSOR. I need....I need to know he's okay." And she left the room and went straight to his car. Paul's car. God he should be at work in that car yet he felt the need to want to die. And he didn't tell her. He didn't tell her about his thoughts, about how he felt. Nothing. But she couldn't be mad. She couldn't. Henry placed a hand on Emma's shoulder and she jumped. "I'm...I'm sorry I-" 

"Don't mention it, Emma. Now lets go. You can go over with me." She nodded. They didn't speak on the way there. And when they got there she literally jumped out the car before Henry stopped and ran into the building. "Paul Matthews. Do you know of a Paul Matthews." She must of looked like a very tired psycho screaming at the receptionist. The receptionist was taken back but nodded slowly with wide eyes. 

"Um...up two flights of stairs, room 13 on the left hand corridor." And she ran off again. She apologised multiple times as she ran up. She really must have looked like a psycho. But then as she approached the room, room 13 on the left hand corridor, she realised. This was her Paul. She was definitely going to cry. She knocked on the door. 

"Come in." Paul. Oh God his voice seemed so tired. What would he look like? Was he in pain? Fuck it just walk in. 

 

So she did. She walked in and Paul saw her. "Emma?" His voice was quiet. She pushed the door shut and quick walked to his bedside, pulling the chair with her as she went. "Emma I'm sorry." She smiled, crying. 

"Don't be sorry. I'm not angry at you. I don't blame you." He held his hand out to her face and wiped away her tears which only made her cry harder. "I just wished I'd have been there to help..."

"Don't cry." He smiled. She flung his arms around him, crying even harder. "It's okay." He tried to reassure her. 

"I just...why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you talk about it to me you  _know_ I took a course in this!"

"I couldn't." His voice was quiet and shaky. "I knew it would hurt you more. So I decided...I decided to leave it all behind."

"Paul-"

"It was hurting me living. It was hurting me and I didn't know the way out." He took a painful breathe. He was crying now. "But then the professor grabbed my wrist. I went to grab his other hand and...I slipped. And I woke up here." Emma still hadn't let go. "I uh....I broke a um a few of my ribs and I had a pretty bad hit to the head. Also I broke my leg." She pulled away giving Paul his first proper look at her. She looked so tired and it was his fault. 

She got her first proper look at Paul. He was so pale and obviously on his meds. His pale blue eyes were glossed with tears and the bags under his eyes were pretty dark. He felt so think through his clothes too. Had he been eating? "Your thin...Have you been eating enough?" He looked away from her. "Paul? Please answer me so I can help you."

"I couldn't." She burst into tears harder again being gentler with him. 

"I could have helped you! I could have helped you...I could have helped you." She kept repeating and Paul could only hold her. This was his fault. "It's my fault. The signs were obvious and I just ignored them." He smiled lifting her chin up so they made direct eye contact. 

"Don't blame yourself."


	17. I Can't Look At The Screen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> be prepared for some angst.

_**Plot Starter: Emma and Paul have a baby, Emma struggles** _

_**Time Limit: approximately an hour** _

_**Overdraft Time Limit: about an hour and two minutes** _

_**Genre: Angst/Extremely fucking sad** _

_**Time Taken To Write: 55 mins 32 seconds** _

_**Wordcount: 1627** _

_**Triggers: Miscarriage** _

_**Relationships: Paul/Emma, Henry Hidgens & Emma Perkins** _

_**Headcanons: I always change the age emma was when Jane died, in this case, 22, the professor worked at Hatchetfield High and moved to the college he knew Emma would be, emma speaks spanish. (i used google for that part), I refuse to let the Professor or any of the events of Not Your Seed onwards happen, CHARLOTTE ISN'T DEAD.** _

_**AU: WHERE THE APOTHEOSIS ISN'T JUST A DAY AND SEVERAL MONTHS** _

* * *

She was 22 when she became pregnant with her boyfriend. She was living in Guatamala at the time and she'd met this guy. Alex Mccaine, and he'd proposed to her. However, three months into the pregnancy, she lost the baby. She miscarried. Her mental health spiralled and so did their relationship. She dropped the ring on the floor during an argument, booked a flight back to Hatchetfield the same day, and never returned. On the plane she got the text informing her of Jane's death. She sat there quietly sobbing to herself. The funeral was possibly the best thing they could have given her. She didn't deserve to die. She should have been the one in front of the car. But she was still in pain from losing her baby, from losing the person closest to her. She really did love Alex. But he didn't know how to treat her anymore. They always seemed to fight. And it hurt. So that's why Emma lived here full time. She got a job at a local coffee store, Beanies, and it was quite peaceful. Nobody knew who she was which was fantastic. It was almost like she was invisible. 

* * *

 

Paul Matthews worked at CCRP. Now, here's your definition of a stereotypical CCRP Techincal Client. Nerdy, tall, an asshole, on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Of course, that was only stereotypical. Paul was smart, he was kind and he was really fucking generous. He walked into the coffee store, Beanies, with his friend Charlotte on a coffee run and he was greeted with a new face. A new barista. The name tag read "Emma." Charlotte smirked at him. He had a type, and Emma was that type. "Hi, how can I help you?" She tossed the towel over her shoulder. Her tanned skin practically glowed underneath the light. "Oh um...can we-" He began but Charlotte silenced him.

"We will get one chai iced tea, two caramel frappucinos and a black coffee." Emma rolled her eyes. Charlotte tipped her 10 dollars. Paul could feel jealousy consuming him. Why? Charlotte whispered in his ear, "I've got a plan." And said nothing else afterwards. Back at the office, Paul couldn't take his mind off of the new barista. 

* * *

 

Emma couldn't take his eyes off the two people who came into her store. The girl was short, her reddish brown curled hair tied with a headband made her heart flutter with anxiety. It's how Jane wore her hair on a bad day. The same girl wore a lilac sweater with a cat on it and a navy floral skirt accompanied by black flats. On closer approach, she wore pale pink eyeshadow and pale lipstick. The man next to her she couldn't even begin to describe. His hair had a left parting. It was straight(er than her) and a gorgeous shade of brown. He was only wearing a brown suit but it made her heart hammer when she looked at him. He was tall. So very tall. She was probably two heads shorter than him. He approached her. She had to keep her cool. "Hi, how can I help you?" When she heard the ridiculously long order, she rolled her eyes. "Quién piensa esta gente que está caminando en mi tienda con un aspecto muy lindo y luego procede a ordenar este pedido de mierda? ¡Tal vez debería dejar de caer locamente por cada chica y ciertos niños que caminan en esta puta tienda!" ( _Who do these people think they are walking into my store looking all cute and then proceeding to order this shitty order! Maybe I should stop falling head over heels for every girl and certain boys who walk in this fucking store!_ ) She sighed as she made the order. "That'll be $19.50" She put on a fake smile, avoiding the tall boy's eyes. She noticed the girl put 10 dollars in the tip jar, which she stole. Well, there was only her and Zoey on shift. 

* * *

She was 30 when the apotheosis hit. She'd only known Paul's name for 2 days but felt like she knew him for life. So she sat there, shaking with fear in the Professor's house. They'd survived the first day. "Em, can I speak to you?" Paul asked. She nodded, standing up and walking slowly into the other room. He grabbed her arms gently, looking frantically from the other room to her. He took a deep breathe. "It's the end of the fucking world and we might be dead like pretty much everyone else in Hatchetfield and at least I'll be dead inside anyways after saying this but Emma...I like you. I like you more than a friend." He continued to say a whole ass monologue but Emma zoned out. 

"Okay shortie." She smiled. She'd call him shortie as a joke and it sorta just stuck. "I'll date you." Paul's eyes widened. 

"Um...okay! I mean yeah thats cool. Okay..okay. Okay!" She gently put her hand on his forearm because he was still a lot fucking taller than her. 

"Okay Paul." She said gently, to calm him down. And it worked. 

* * *

It was Paul and Emma out on patrol one day, to go and stock up on food. Those who were still alive had already had babies. Relationships were moving quick. Cries of parentless babies filled the streets and he saw a reaction on Emma's face he'd never seen before. Determination combined with grief. He sat in the car, a lot of food, a lot of sanitary products, and Emma slipped something into her pocket. "Emma?"

"Hmm!" She said at once.

"Be honest with me. I saw the look on your face when the babies were crying." She tensed up and tears begin to fall down her face. 

"I miscarried okay! I miscarried when I was 22 and...and-" She couldn't finish her sentence before bursting into tears. Paul stopped the car at once and pulled her into a hug. He had no idea. "And it was even worse because I was engaged and I've been so afraid of losing you because you remind me so much of my previous fiance and when I told him that I'd miscarried he treated me so much differently I just...I walked out. The same day I came back here I found out my sister was hit by a car. So I went through a lot that year. And then you and Char came into Beanies and everything changed and-"

"Do you want a family with me? Maybe not at once but-" She nodded. 

"You're different. You won't attempt to hurt me if I have a miscarria-"

"He tried to hurt you?"

"Yes Paul!" She wiped tears. "Can we just...can we go home." 

* * *

She stole a pregnancy test. Money meant nothing when nearly all of Hatchetfield was dead. And she slipped it in her pocket without Paul noticing. And she just told him everything. About the miscarriage, about Alex. And it hurt. But it felt good to get it off her chest. She went into the bathroom and took the test. Positive. Fucking great. She didn't realise how late it was until there was a knock at the door. "Em? It's Paul. The Professor's asking to see you."

"Okay!" She said as confidently as possible. "Go to bed I'll be there soon!" So she slipped out the bathroom door and down to the Professor. He sat her down. Henry Hidgens was her father figure. 

"Paul told me you miscarried when you were 22 is that right?" She immediately broke eye contact, her eyes dropped to the floor and tears replaced whatever emotion it is.

"Yeah I miscarried and I just found out I'm fucking pregnant and I'm scared in case I miscarry again and Paul treats me the same way that Alex treated me." She sighed. "I can't be a good mom, professor." Henry smiled. 

"Emma, I've known you since you were 12. You'll be amazing."

"But how do you know?! I don't even know how far along I am and-"

"Don't panic." He smiled. "I'm a biology professor. I've grown up alongside medical equipment all my life. Another one of my students went through what you've been through. She couldn't afford a doctor so I was her doctor. And I'll be yours too." She flung her arms around him. 

"Thankyou so so much professor."

* * *

She told Paul 3 months after she found out, when stealing his hoodies could no longer hide her growing baby. He was ecstatic. Emma, however, was not. And it was also the day of Emma's ultrasound. She had to admit, it was very weird knowing that your father figure was also your doctor. She shut her eyes. "I can't look at the screen." She said, tiredly. Paul smiled. The heartbeat was the loudest thing in the world. And it all payed off when Emma held the heartbeat in human form close to her chest. She was exhausted. It had been a long labour. "Can you go....can you go and get Paul?" She asked Henry, who had delivered her baby. It was a son. And she was scared. The rest of the squad had gone to get supplies. After finding out Emma was pregnant, they all pitched in to get things for the baby. But then they came back. Henry nodded. Footsteps went up the stairs and ran back down. Except it was Paul. Emma was holding the baby like how the professor had shown her. Paul froze. 

"Em...em-I. I mean...wow."

"Do you want to meet your son or not?" She said gently. She had screamed in pain. And now her voice was hoarse. Paul walked over to her. "He's healthy or whatever according to dad." She said, not even caring about the slip up. Paul nodded. 

"Lets call him Henry in his memory." Paul suggested. Emma nodded. And it was settled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	18. Look What You Made Me Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SONG FIC:  
> i love song fics so much aksksksdk  
> basically the rewrite of inevitable if I could change the script so they all pulled a papers please and threw a grenade at emma instead of the meteor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically inevitable but angst

_**Plot Starter: The Song "Look What You Made Me Do"** _

_**Time Limit: whenever the fuck I feel like it** _

_**Overdraft Time Limit: *inhales* I DONT GIVE A F U C K** _

_**Genre: Song Fic/Angst** _

_**Time Taken To Write: started 17:29 ended 17:56** _

_**Wordcount: 834** _

_**Triggers: major character death** _

_**Headcanons:** _

* * *

Emma woke up with a pounding headache in Clivesdale. She gagged mentally at the thought. Paul! Had Paul returned? She'd been stuck in this fucking hospital for 2 weeks and she was finally allowed to go. "Oh, and a Mr Ben Bridges will be escorting you there" Colonel Schaffer said. 

"Oh, I don't know a Ben Bridges."

"Well according to our records you two were very good friends. PIEP like to say it was something more." And left. Emma sighed. When she looked up, he was there.  _Paul._ She ran, well, limp-ran over to him into his arms. He was safe!

"Paul! We made it we can go! We can we-oh my god!" she hugged him tighter in disbelief. But when she looked up, the eyes she once knew weren't staring back at her. They were a piercing blue and he had small blue cuts on the side of his face. He couldn't be dead could he? He was here! "P-Paul?"

Paul, however, just smiled gently. "I don't like your little games. Don't like your tilted stage. The role you made me play. Of the fool-"

"I-I didn't!" Emma stuttered, scared, not believing a word of this. 

"No I don't like you." He pushed her out of his grasp causing her to stumble backwards. "I don't like your perfect crime. How you laugh when you lie. You said the gun was mine" At that point, Professor Hidgens had appeared. He was gone....no. He couldn't be. "Isn't cool. No I don't like you." She backed herself against a wall as more members of the Hatchetfield Catastrophe came into view. Joining him. Following his lead.

"But I got smarter I got harder in the nick of time! Honey I rose up from the dead I do it all the time! I've got a list of names and your's is in red underlined!" He pointed to her. "I check it once, then I check it twice!" The infected start approaching her and she tried to run but her leg almost gave way. The chorus then started of a series of "Look what you made me do's" as they tried to grab her. She fought back. Paul looked at her. 

"I don't like your kingdom keys. They once belonged to me. You asked me for a place, locked me up and threw a feast!" He shouted at her. Her eyes widened. He didn't mean this did he? There was a discarded gun on the floor. If only she could reach it...

"The world goes on another day another drama, drama. But not for me, not for me all I think about is karma!" Paul's soft smile turned into a grimace as he swiped at her head. She ducked and moved closer to the gun. "And then the world moves on but one thing's for sure! Baby I got mine but you'll all got yours." And then they repeated the internal burns at her. The infected joining in. 

"I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me-"

"I trust you!" She whimpered. 

"I'll be the actor starring in your bad dreams." And then the infected joined in. And it scared her when he said "I'm sorry, the old Paul can't come to the phone right now. Why? Because he's dead!" She picked the gun up. They continued singing their song. At the final note, she fell. But she still had the gun...

"Look what you made me-" A gunshot rang throughout the arena. The other infected were scared and ran off. Paul lay on the floor, motionless. Tears filled her eyes. Blue blood seeped from his head. She staggered over to him, crying softly. She knelt besides him refusing to accept she was dead. She ran a hand through his hair. She wished she could do it while he was alive. And slowly, slowly but surely, the blood drained from blue to purple to red. She didn't notice until he started moving. She jumped up and yelped in pain, positioning the gun, prepared to shoot. He held his head as he sat himself up. "WHO ARE YOU?!" She shouted. 

"I-I Emma i-"

"ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

"M-my name is Paul Matthews I'm a CCRP Technical client and I don't like musicals!"

"WHAT'S MY NAME!"

"You're Emma Perkins!"

"WHAT DO I STUDY IN COLLEGE?!" Yes these questions were necessary. This could be the true Paul...

"Botany!" He said. He looked confused. The gun clattered the ground as she walked over to him. She knelt in front of him, running a hand along his cheek before pulling him in for the kiss she'd longed for. He gently kissed back, still clutching his head. She pressed her forehead to his. "You died..." She explained. "You were singing and you said you hated me and-" tears filled her eyes again. He lifted her head up as she'd been looking at the floor, wiping her eyes. 

"And we're okay"

"I shot you in the head I must have killed the part where the spore took root by accident-"

"And I'm here. Dizzy, but here." He smiled. She smiled. They'd be alright eventually. 

 

 


	19. The Titanic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in short, the titanic but TGWDLM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW Of suicidal thoughts and everyone dying on the titanic bc that's what happened.

First class, gorgeous and rich. Everything a girl could want. Everything a girl could want except the girl who had it. Emma Perkins belonged to a rich family in Britain. They moved from America to Britain to get Emma married alongside her sister, Jane. But with the Titanic being finished there was the change of plans of marrying Emma in America instead. So there she was. On a boat that held no purpose to her except transportation. 

Lower class, not really handsome, tall, lanky, lean and poor. He just got a ticket on the titanic by pure chance. Pure chance by gambling. So there he was, running through the crowds to go home to America. As soon as he was on there, he threw his bag up and introduced himself to his cabin mates. Paul Matthews was his name. And to get to America after sheer luck would be a dream come true. He was born there and hadn't managed to go back. And here he was. Going back. 

_I think I'm going back, the two chorused throughout their minds, a small connection being made between the two as they did so._

* * *

First class, gorgeous, rich and suicidal. Her fucking fiance ordering her around again as if he owned her. Fucking Ted Harris. She slapped him across the face as she ran out of the cabin and on to the deck. She kicked off her shoes and climbed over the railings, looking down at the water, churning bubbles from underneath the boat. If she jumped, she'd be dead. Brilliant. Exactly what she wanted. What she wanted was happiness and she wasn't happy with this family. 

Paul saw a girl standing over the railings and his suspicions were confirmed. "Don't jump." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was a bitter cold night. She turned around with wide eyes. 

"Don't tell me what to do!" She replied. 

"Alright. Jump if you wish. But may I just add as soon as you jump into that water it will feel like millions, possibly billions of knives searing through your sides and the cold will slowly work it's way through your body until you can't possibly fight any longer before you drown." He said biting his thumbnail. Emma begin breathing harder, immediately regretting her decision. "WHO ARE YOU?" She said flicking her head around to face him. 

"I'm Paul Matthews. Can I have your hand? I can help you back over." She bit her top lip and nodded. He approached her and held out his hand. Slowly, she began patting the railings trying to find his hand. She eventually found it, but as she went to turn around she slipped and lost her footing. She screamed. Paul, instinctively, grabbed her arm with his other hand. She was screaming for help. Luckily, he was fairly strong compared to her, so he was able to pull her up and over the barrier. Policeman came and handcuffed Paul. He sighed. He should have known. She was upper class, he was...lower class. The working class. And if he dared touch her, well, these were the consequences. 

"Wait!" The girl called out to the policemen as another man accompanied her. "He...he saved my life I..I lost my footing and...and he caught me. I wanted to see how...the propellors worked." Paul heard an indistinct sigh emerge from the other man's lips. 

"Is this true?" The policeman asked. Paul nodded. 

"Yes sir, it is true. She lost her balance and I just so happened to be on deck." He was uncuffed immediately and rewarded as a hero. 

_Can they see through these lies we tell, the two chorused throughout their minds, a smaller connection being made between the two as they did so._

* * *

But it wasn't just that. Speculations were confirmed. The unsinkable...was sinking. A massive fucking hoax. A marketing ploy. And Emma...she was gonna die. As soon as she found this out and people started running up, she was going down stairs. She ran into the elevator. "TAKE ME DOWN!" She screamed. 

"The elevator is out of bounds miss-" She shut the door herself manually and glared at him, to which he took her down. Water soon poured into the elevator. She forced the door open again before the guy left. She was scared. Paul was correct about the water, and it wasn't ideal to wear a dress this long when you're trying to prevent drowning. She put her scarf on the steps before wading through the water. "PAUL?" She shouted, praying she'd be heard. 

Paul heard her as clear as daylight. He'd been arrested again and the water was coming in. Fast. "EMMA?!" He shouted back, banging his handcuffs on the metal. She soon found them. But he couldn't get uncuffed. So Emma had to leave. She returned with an axe. In one swing, his cuffs came off clean. They ran through water, through the dark, they swam until they got to the top deck. When the boat split in two, Paul held on to Emma for dear life, as well as the railings. When they realised they were going down he realised he had to act quick. "Em, listen to me." None of this would be happening if she'd got on the fucking boat. She'd be safe. Yet here she was, too stubborn to leave him behind. 

She was first class, rich, perfect.

He was working class, poor, tall, lanky and lean. 

He was nothing to a girl like her. She'd move on. She'd be okay. 

"Alright Emma, when I say I need you to take a deep breathe for me. Okay? We need to let go. Don't let go of my hand." She nodded, grabbing hold of his hand. She had a firm grip. A tight grip. With his other hand, he held on to her arm. She let go with a scream. "EMMA DEEP BREATHE!" He screamed. She did. They were pulled under. Immediately after they were under, he started thrashing his legs around. But she let go. Fuck. 

_I'm gonna lose the love of my life, the two chorused throughout their minds, building a stronger connection between the two as they did so._

* * *

"PAUL!" Emma screamed as she came up for air. 

"EMMA?" He screamed back. He could see her. He immediately swam towards her, the cold getting to him. They found a painting that Emma was able to balance on. 

"Paul please get on please please we've come so far..."

"Emma...if I die...you promise me you'll never let go. You'll never let go of your dreams okay?"

"Don't talk like that." She said, taking his hand. He nodded, shivering. 

_I love you, the two chorused throughout their minds building a stronger all the while connection between the two as they did so._

* * *

Paul felt himself drifting off but was awoken to Emma shaking him. She pointed to a boat. He handed her a whistle he kept on his neck at all times. The noise was loud enough to draw attention. The two were loaded into the boat. 6 out of god knows how many were rescued from the waters. And Paul and Emma were 1/3 of them. Paul and Emma were hospitalised. But as soon as the two were out, they were married. They had kids. They were safe.

But they almost didn't make it out that dreadful night. Emma and Paul would never be the same, but she had her working class, poor, tall, lanky and lean boy. The boy of her dreams. 

Meanwhile he had his first class, rich, perfect girl. The girl of his dreams. 

* * *

_Social class means nothing. We're all human so we treat each other with the same respect, they tell each other every night, no longer needing to strengthen their connection._

 

 


End file.
